A Vampire's Refuge
by XenotheWise135
Summary: Evangeline A.K. McDowell is a wanted woman, and in an attempt to lay low for awhile she visits Fairy Tail. With an entire magic council on her tail and a guild suspicious of her origins, how will Eva ever live a peaceful life?
1. Heart to Heart

In a dark room, many people sit at a round table. Faces hidden, they speak of things important. This is the magic council of Paramecia, a continent north of Fiore. One of the men speak.

"Her trail's gone cold…" The man says.

"Rodelle can't find her? I thought he was the best." A woman responds.

"I am." The council turn towards the door to the room and see a man in a grey cloak.

"Rodelle… Why are you here?" An elder council member asks.

Rodelle takes a seat. "My tracking magic is flawless. The minute we got a piece of her cloak during a raid, her scent was mine. The only way her trail could've gone cold would be her leaving Paramecia. That also poses a few more questions." Rodelle explains.

"I'd imagine she had an accomplice…" The woman from before assumes.

"Correct. The only way she could've gotten on a boat to leave would be via smuggling. She's an infamous criminal, meaning getting on transportation is neigh impossible. Somebody let her on the boat knowing it was her, and that somebody will lead us to her." Rodelle explains again.

The elder council member strokes his beard and speaks. "But how do we know she was smuggled? Maybe she took the boat by force."

"No, I'm pretty sure she didn't. If she hijacked the ship, she harbor would've notified us immediately, and we'd be on her trail instantly. She wanted to get some distance before we started looking for her. Be leaving quietly, she had until we noticed her disappearance to move. She could be quite far." Rodelle explained.

"How will we finder her then? If she's left continent and we know not who smuggled her, we have little hope."

Rodelle wags his finger. "No. You see, I can't find her using long range tracking magic. My magic communicates with the Lachryma towers spread across the country, allowing me to pinpoint her location by scent. There are only a few places in this country without these towers, one of them being the harbor to the south."

The woman speaks up. "I still don't see your point. This just keeps sounding worse."

"No, you see, this merely means I cannot located her from here. If I go directly to Faramar's port, I can use my magic to find if her scent is there without a tower. The towers are for convenience. I told you my magic was flawless. If I couldn't use it without a tower that would be a flaw. I merely need take a quick visit to the port town and check for her scent myself." Rodelle explains.

"But if she left the continent, wouldn't her scent be gone from the harbor as well?" A man inquires.

"Indeed, but that's only if I was looking for her specifically…" Rodelle says cryptically.

"Explain."

"You see, her scent would still be on two things: The boat and the person who smuggled her. If I find either of these things, we can find out which continent she fled to." Rodelle says with a frown, alerting the other council members.

The elder member speaks up. "I take it there are still problems?"

Rodelle nods and sighs. "The lachryma towers of Paramecia are part of our security system. Towns can communicate with each other and surveillance magic is more widespread. Other countries do not have these things. If I follow her, I'd have to be within 20 miles of her to sense her. Without the towers I'm restricted to my original range." Rodelle explains while looking down.

"Damn that woman! She's been a thorn in our side for far too long! Evangeline A.K. Mcdowell, your time is near!"

**XXbreakXX**

A short girl covered in a torn and ragged greenish-grey cloak walks though the town of Magnolia. Her legs are exposed, showing many cuts and bruises. She is shoeless, meaning that presumably the cloak is all she's wearing.

As she walks down the market place she is addressed by a shop keep. "Little girl! You don't look so good. How about I give you some food and a place to sleep for tonight. I wouldn't feel right leaving a homeless girl to walk the streets…"

The girl looks up at the man. He face is hidden, but a genuine smile can be seen.

"Thank you, but I have a place in mind already. I heard that the guild in this town takes in young talent. If I can prove I'm ready to be a mage I might get a place to stay." The girl explains.

"Really! Fairy Tail's a good place. Makarov wouldn't turn a girl like you away, I'll tell you that much. Get going then, I can't stand looking at you this torn up. The sooner you get cleaned up the better I'll feel. Come visit me sometime soon and I'll hook you up with that dinner I promised." The man happily says.

"Thank you… I'll be on my way then." The girl says before walking off.

Still taking many looks along the way, she proceeds until she arrives at her destination. Looking up she sees the guild emblem. Smiling, she walks towards the guild and enters through the double doors. As soon as she walks in a beer mug hits her in the face and shatters, covering her in blood from the cuts. She falls to her knees and grabs her face.

"Shit… This hurts…" The girl mumbles under her breath.

An older man with blue hair runs to her side quickly before helping her up. "Oh my god, are you okay Jou-chan? Who threw that! You busted a little girl's face!"

"Get Wendy, quickly!" A girl behind the bar yells. The injured girl pushes the person who helped her up to the side, startling him. Her hood falls off, showing her torn up face. It is also revealed that she has long blonde hair. Upon seeing her face, the guild dives into further chaos.

Forming a tick mark on her head, the girl speaks up. "SILENCE!" She shouts. The guild quickly quiets down and looks at her with shock.

"I'm fine, okay? It hurts like a bitch, but you all screaming isn't helping. Just get me a first-aid kit and calm the hell down. I came here to see the guild master, but you guys seem too rowdy to keep your beer in your hands!" At that point, she sits at a table with a girl with deep red hair before beginning to take the shards of glass out of her face and tossing them aside. Shocked at her pain tolerance, the guild notices that she's covered in injuries already.

"You don't look okay, and what you're doing isn't healthy. Wait for our medic and be still." The red-haired girl says. The blonde girl sighs before ceasing her actions. Wendy showed up immediately afterwards and began to treat her wounds with magic.

"Good lord, who did this?" She asked while working.

The purple-haired man from before answered. "She came to talk to the master, and the guild was in one of its usual rowdy moments. Someone tossed their mug and hit her in the face." The man explained with a sorrowful look.

"Down worry Macao. It'll be fine." The red-haired girl said with a smile.

Macao rubbed the back of his head and formed a small smile. "Thanks, Erza."

While Wendy is healing, she notices something strange. Many of the wounds on her face are healing on their own, with small amounts of smoke coming off as they close.

"_What incredible healing power… It must be because she isn't human… She smells weird, not like any person I've ever smelled. She smells… Dark… Still, without my help it'd take a few days to heal completely. Lets finish this up." _

"Aaaaand, done!" Wendy exclaims. The blonde girl feels her face and finds no wounds. Now that her face is clean, she is revealed to be quite pretty. She has the kind of face that lets you know with age she'll become more than beautiful. Unbeknownst to the rest of the guild, Gray Fullbuster had a shocked look. He quickly composed himself.

"Thank you very much. Man that hurt. You guys are crazy…"

Erza turns away from Macao and towards her before speaking up. "Excuse me for saying, but you look homeless. I'm guessing you're here for refuge?" Erza asks.

The blonde girl shrugs. "I guess, yeah. I got no clothes and my legs are torn to shit. I heard the guild master takes in young talent. I figure that if he finds me a competent mage I won't be sleeping under park benches anymore." The guild frowns at this before the very man in question comes in. He appears very short and old.

"I heard we had a young guest in need of some help. Are you her?" The master asks.

"Yes, I am Katherine. I heard you take in mages, and hoped for a better life here." Katherine says while bowing.

"Hahaha… No need for such formalities young-"

"Good! Man, I was worried you wouldn't accept me if I wasn't a goodie two-shoes. Thanks a bunch Jii-san." Katherine interrupted loudly. The entire guild sweat dropped at her change in attitude. Makarov didn't seem to mind at all.

"First thing's first. Mira! Get the lass some clothes." Makarov yells to the white-haired girl behind the bar. She nods and ushers Katherine to follow her into the back.

As they walk down the stairs to the basement Mira starts conversation. "So, where are you from Katherine-chan?"

"I forget." She answers in a dead tone.

Mira looks surprised."What do you mean? You have to know where you were born right?"

Katherine looked down sadly. "It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you someday. I forget your name. You are?"

Mira smiles widely before answering. "Mirajane. You can call me Mira though. Everyone else does. Now, here are some clothes. They're Wendy's spare clothes. I'm sure she won't mind you wearing them." Mira says while holding up a one-piece yellow dress. Katherine looks at it skeptically before shrugging and accepting it.

"_Better than nothing I guess." _She thought.

She drops her cloak immediately without hesitation, revealing a body covered in scars to Mira. Her hair is also revealed to be much longer than Mira thought, going far past her bottom. The right thing to do would be to stay composed, but Mira lets out a gasp.

After quickly putting on the dress Katherine looks at Mira. "It's been a really tough trip. I'd like for that Wendy girl to fix the rest later, but for now don't worry." She says. Mira nods before both of them go back upstairs. A few new faces are now there. A boy with pink hair and… A flying cat? Beside him is a pretty blonde girl.

Katherine notices the boy's nose wiggle before he stands up and points at her. "Who are you! You're not human, I can tell. You don't smell right!" The boy accuses.

Katherine flinches at his words. _"Great. Just great! I finally find a place to lay low and its got a bloodhound in it. Fuck it, I better just leave before things get ugly. Maybe the man from before'll let me crash at his place till morning." _

Katherine runs past the boy and out the guild's entrance. Almost the entire guild glares at the boy.

Erza gets in his face. "Natsu! What the hell was that about! She was a girl who needed our help. How dare you say those kind of things! Of course she's human, what else could she be?" Erza yells.

A tall man with long black hair and piercings in his nose steps forward and looks at Erza. "Salamander's right though. She smells weird. I've never smelled anything like it before." The man says before glaring at Natsu and continuing.

"Of course, you could've been more subtle about it you know? Human or not, she still looked ten. You can't blow up like that. We could've handled that differently."

"Since when were you so nice Gazille?" A voice from behind Gazille speaks. Turns out, it's a small black cat with a scar one of its eyes.

"Cut me some slack Lily. I'm not that heartless. She's a little girl!" Gazille pleads while Lily just smiles. Just then the doors can be heard opening. The group look towards the entrance and see the man from earlier who seemingly recognized Katherine.

The pretty girl next to Natsu speaks up. "Where are you going Gray?" She asks. Gray looks back.

"Don't worry Lucy. I'm just going to go look for her. Stay put and I'll bring her back eventually." Gray says, leaving before anyone can even respond to his proclamation.

**XXbreakXX**

Katherine sits at a small pond in a park in the center of town. She picks up a small rock and tosses it masterfully, causing it to skip all the way to the other side of the pond.

She sighs. "This is bullshit. I can't believe my only idea turned out to be a bust. I didn't even get a chance to look for Gray."

Katherine pauses before grinning. "Well speak of the devil. How are you Gray-chan?"

Gray comes down a small hill towards the pond and sits next to Katherine. "Pretty good. I'm surprised really. I thought you were in Paramecia."

"I was. They have really tight security. I was close to getting caught. I needed to split." She explains.

Gray nods. "Still. Its good to see you Eva-sensei."

"Don't call me that. I didn't teach you that much. I just oversaw some of Ur's lessons. My input was minor."

Gray shakes his head. "You were Ur's sensei, making you just as much my sensei as hers." Gray reasoned.

Katherine chuckled. "If you insist. How is Ur doing anyways? I thought I'd pay my cute student a visit."

Gray's look immediately goes sad. "Sorry Eva-sensei. She's dead."

Katherine looks shocked. "What! When! Where? How!"

Gray puts his hand on Katherine signaling her to calm down. "You remember Deliora? He came back near the city, and I couldn't control myself. I mean, it killed my parents. Because of my recklessness Ur had to use Iced Shell to stop it… I'm sorry Eva-sensei. There was nothing I could do! I-" Katherine slaps him. Hard. Her eyes were watery, but she never sheds a tear.

She calms herself before continuing. "She died protecting her cute student huh? How like her. Ever since Urtear died she protected you like one of her own. Don't worry though. The slap was just for good measure. I know better than to hold a grudge. And by the way, don't call me Eva. You know better."

Gray laughs. _"Should I tell her about Urtear? No. I'll wait a bit." _Gray thinks before continuing.

"Katherine huh? Anybody who gives two shits about you'll see straight through that alias. Better than nothing though. I guess…" Katherine gives him a solid "humph!".

Gray laughs again before gaining a somber look. "It's because of your sister, isn't it?" After she didn't respond, he quickly changed to subject.

His face lit up. "If you're going by Katherine now I get to call you Kitty, right?" Gray asks playfully.

Katherine growls before reprimanding Gray. "Don't you dare! I'll kill you! That dumbass nickname Leon gave me should never be used. I still have to get him back for that. He wouldn't stop calling me that, no matter what I did to him! It was horrible. How's he doing anyways? Living I hope…"

"No, don't worry. He's very much alive. He didn't take Ur's death too well, but he eventually got over it. He's currently a mage at Lamia Scale, to the west. He'd be happy to know you're back you know."

**Author's Note: I will now refer to her as Eva, but to the rest of the guild she is Katherine until further developments.**

Eva shrugged. "Maybe I'll pay him a visit. If he calls me Kitty once though, he's dead."

Eva suddenly stops, obviously thinking about something. "You know what? That sounds pretty good actually. Maybe they'll let me stay at that Lamia-whatever." She ponders.

"No. You'll stay here, at Fairy Tail. Natsu got reprimanded for being so rude to you. If you come back calmly, nobody will ask any questions. We all have skeletons in our closet, and if you being a Vampire is something you want to keep secret, then by all means do so." Gray says, trying to comfort Eva.

She sighs deeply. "Sure, whatever. I doubt it'll make a difference anyways. I just need a place to lay low for awhile. I don't care where."

Gray makes a confused look. "Why are you here anyways? What happened? You said tight security, but you've been there for years. What changed?"

"The council hired some mage with mad tracking skills. He could find me almost anywhere in the country based on just a piece of my cloak. Bastard didn't give me any chances to rest. In order to slowly erase my trail I put a seal on most of my magic. After my presence began to die down it became harder for that Rodelle guy to find me. Downside was I couldn't heal nearly as well. We got into a scuffle and now I'm a mess. I managed to escape and get to a ship. A buddy of mine let me on. I remembered you and came here." Eva explained.

"Never calm with you around huh?" Gray said before laughing.

"You're telling me. Kinda makes me wish I hadn't killed those council bastards all those years ago…"

Gray's face became serious. "No going back now. Still, that confuses me. That was like 300 years ago, right? Why are they still after you?" Eva shrugged her shoulders.

"Beats me. No use thinking about it. Fact of the matter is, they want me. 600,000,000 Jewels in exchange. Really sucks when you think about it."

"What pisses me off is that it wasn't your fault. Things were rough, what were you supposed to do? Bend over and take it?" Gray said a bit defensively.

Eva sighed once more. "It was a decision I made though. I could handle the beatings and the starvation, but when they burned me at the stake I'd had enough. I decided to learn magic right then and there. After I was ready, give or take twenty years, I killed them. And the sad part is, I enjoyed it. Each one of their deaths brought me to a higher level of ecstasy. Watching the selfish pigs who sought my death die was eternally satisfying. Call me crazy, but with every stab, cut, or freeze, I felt more and more alive. I still remember the look on the head council member's face before I beheaded him."

Gray looked a bit scared, but said nothing. Eva continued. "That was when I realized. I wasn't normal. Maybe I was the monster they all claimed me to be. Walking out of that chamber covered in their blood was all it took to make me recognize that very fact. I'm really not human. I lost that the same night Zeref saw fit to change me…"

Gray's look softened. It was honestly a bit sad. _"Telling her about Zeref can wait too. He's still out there…"_

"Zeref was a pitiful man. All the power in the world and he still cowered before the face of old age. The lives he took to realize his dream of immortality deserved better. While you rightfully feel spite, at the same time you should feel lucky. Out of all the children he took, you lived. You made it past the fate others had to deal with." Gray comforted.

"I know that. Living for 400 years isn't just for show you know? I've had a lot of time to think about things. What to do with my life… Things I still don't know the answer to, even after all these years." Eva says sadly before continuing.

"The thing that will always get to me though, is that he used children. Test subjects that were easy to find and couldn't fight back. Tampering with my little sister until I couldn't even recognize her, doing the same with other children, only to discard them like yesterday's trash. Sitting in a cell for months, dreading your turn at the operating table. It was terrifying."

"In my eyes, you redeemed them all. " Gray admitted.

Eva looked at Gray, quite surprised. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"After injecting you with that monster blood, you lived. Your body didn't reject the mixing of your blood with theirs. You carry the DNA of now extinct creatures, all holding the secret of immortality. You are essentially the key, and by escaping from Zeref, you made all his research pointless. Countless hours of experimentation down the drain. The lives of those children only served to deepen his fear of death. Their lives did not go towards the benefit of that man, but to yours. Their lives were lost to give you the gift of time, one that will never be taken from you. Be happy."

Eva looked at Gray before giving him a light hug, then backing away quickly.

"That's the last time you'll ever get a hug from me. You deserved it, that's all. But if there's one thing I do regret, it's that I didn't kill Zeref that night. I was fresh off the cutting board, magical power coursing through my veins. I lashed out at him and attacked viscously. I remember leaving him in a pool of blood, but ran before I could think about anything else. He lived. But you're right I guess. Thanks.

"No problem. I just don't like seeing an old friend all depressed. It doesn't suit you." Gray said.

"Its not all that great though. I'll watch you grow old and die. I'll never be able to leave this world with the ones closest to me. By body was frozen at the age of ten, and my uterus wasn't developed enough to have children. I may not be destined to live alone, but I'll leave nothing to my name."

Gray bops her on the head. "Ur was something left to your name. Leon was something left to your name. I'M something left to your name. Your will lives on through your teachings, and as long as ice mages exist, the legacy of Evangeline A.K. McDowell exists. No doubt about it."

"I'd give you another hug, but you already used it up. Sorry. I guess you're right. The time I spent in Fiore after meeting Ur was nice. I still have no idea why I decided to train her. She just, kind of reminded me of myself. The desire to be strong, to protect not only yourself but to be able to redeem that which has been lost. I watched her grow, though good times and bad. That bastard husband of hers left for some dark guild, not even knowing she was pregnant! If I ever see him, I won't kill him. I'll castrate him and set him loose. See how he enjoys life then."

Gray just smirked, then gained a questioning look. "One question. Why did the magic council pursue you so intensely?"

Evangeline quickly answered. She already knew why. "Nobody wants to be reminded of Zeref. In a way, I'm Zeref's legacy just like you are mine. My death was almost unanimously demanded. The only way to get them off my back for a few years was to kill them all, and even then, my troubles didn't completely end. Look at me now. Still running, even after all these years."

Gray and Eva just sit for awhile, until the sun starts to set.

Gray stands up and stretches. "Come on, lets head back to the guild. You've got people to meet. It's a good place, and I'm sure you'll be happy here."

"Very well, but my cover still stands, just in case. I really don't like imposing for free though. It always leaves me feeling sour just mooching off of people. But I suppose you guys are different. Unlike the others, I actually know you. Heh… How's this… I'll continue your training in private. You still have a ways to go, I can see that, and the more you work with me the closer you'll get to realizing your full potential."

"Sounds good. We'll talk about that later though. Lets go, you probably want some dinner. We should get Wendy to fix up the rest of your scars too. They look pretty nasty."

Eva laughs quite loudly. "Pretty nasty? My healing is extremely limited, but still multiple times higher than an average human. All those wounds were at least twice the size they are now when I got them."

Gray looked at her sadly. "Life's never easy for you, is it?"

"Who said it had to be? Life is full of ugly truths, many that people don't have to deal with. Those of us unfortunate enough to endure these hardships turn out differently. I view a tough life as a trial. A test to see one's strength of spirit. Those who persevere through the darker sides of life prove to others-and more importantly themselves-that life is what you make it. Take me for example. I need you and Leon as friends, people I care about. If I had just wallowed in my own misery, what would that have accomplished. It would've only made things much worse. My life is far from ideal, but I try to make the best of it." Eva pauses.

"Enough of our little heart-to-heart. I'm hungry. Lets get the hell out of here."

Gray grins widely. "No problem."

**XXChapter EndXX**

**This was an idea I just came up with, and it turned out a bit darker than I expected. But it needed to be that way. Eva's backstory in this fic isn't all sunshine and farts. She lived a tough life, but persevered. Things are at a low point for her right now, but don't worry. As time moves forward at Fairy Tail, the sarcastic, somewhat sadistic Eva will emerge. I've yet to figure out a primary objective for this fic, but the way the idea flowed didn't give me time to think that far ahead. I just went on a writing spree, and thought of nothing else.**

**Read and review. **

**Xeno out. Peace.**


	2. This Guild is Nuts

Back at the guild things were quiet. It was a strange day. A naked girl came into the guild, got busted in the face by a beer mug, then was chased out by Natsu. After that, Gray even went after her. Three hours ago. The guild members all wondered if everything was okay. Lucy glared at Natsu for what seemed like the 100th time that day.

"I still say this is your fault. You didn't have to lash out like that. It was really rude you know." Lucy scolds. Natsu merely crosses his arms and turns away from her.

"Whatever. You don't know what it feels like to smell something like that. Something more than human." Natsu explained. Lucy rose an eyebrow at this.

"More than human? I thought you were putting her down." Natsu laughed.

"No way. She smelt strong. Every fiber in my being tells me 'do not fight her'. I don't know why, but the animalistic side of me fears her. I can't explain it." Lucy looks at Natsu skeptically. She didn't know what to think. Just then, Gray and Eva walk through the door.

"Sorry we took so long guys. We just had some things to talk about." Gray says sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. Mira walks forward and leads Eva to a table. Many guild members gather round.

"So, Katherine-chan, are you feeling any better?" Mira asks.

Eva nods. "Yes. The mutt just startled me is all. I'm not used to things like that." She explains. Natsu took offence.

"Hey! I'm not a mutt! I'm the toughest guy in this guild."

Eva laughs loudly.

"Even the most novice of mages could tell the difference in power between you and some of the other mages here. The man with the five-o-clock show over there could grind you to dust ten times over."

Said man grins widely before joining the group. "You're pretty perceptive Jou-chan. What kind of magic do you use?" The man asks.

"Ice magic." She answers. The guild goes quiet.

Eva gets uncomfortable. "W-What? Did I say something weird?"

Erza responds first. "No, nothing like that, it's just a bit ironic."

Eva looks at Erza confused."How so?"

"Well, the man who brought you back is also an ice mage."

Eva feigns ignorance and looks at Gray. "No joke? Cool. Maybe we could spar sometime." Eva says while looking at Gray with an evil grin. Gray gulped. He new she was setting him up to be humiliated in front of the guild.

"How old are you anyways?" Natsu asks.

"Ten. What do you care?" Eva responds coldly.

"Don't have to be so mean about it…" Natsu mumbles under his breath.

"Anyways, I'm parched. Haven't had a good drink in days. Mira, you run the bar right?" Eva asks while looking at Mira.

Mira seems a little confused but answers anyways. "Yes, I do. Why?"

"Pint of Kirin with two lemon wedges." Eva orders. Mira looks at her for a bit, then just shrugs. She leaves the table and heads behind the bar to prepare her drink. The rest of the group is flabbergasted.

"Aren't you a bit too young to drink?" Lucy asks.

"Yeah, and Mira! Why are you serving her?" Erza joins in.

Mira looks back and shrugs, still preparing the drink. "I don't really care. Its not worth arguing about it. Based on her order she's obviously not new to it. Ask her."

After getting over the shock of Mira's uncharacteristic response, the group takes her advice and looks over at Eva. "You drink? You're only ten!" Lucy exclaims.

Eva shrugs. "Sometimes I hole up with other homeless people, and lots of times the only thing to drink is alcohol, considering that's usually what they buy with the little money they have. Is was either learn to like beer or go thirsty. Don't worry, I've developed a good tolerance. I'm no lightweight." After she finishes, a laugh is heard form across the guild. A woman with black hair holding an entire keg of bear is responsible.

"How bout I hold you to that? Up for a little contest?" The woman suggests.

Mira finally steps in. "Serving her alcohol is one thing Cana, but coaxing a ten year-old to try and drink you under the table is just wrong. Stop or-"

Eva cuts her off. "I'm game. Anybody else want in? How about you Gray-san?" She says while looking at Gray with the same suggestive look. Gray could care less. Better than getting his ass kicked in combat.

"What the hell." He sits down. The bearded man from before sits down as well.

"Can't let the young'ins slow me down can I? I'm in on this." The guild is shocked. Cana challenged countless people, be he never took part even once.

Cana looks at him strangely. "Dad, are you sure? I mean, its kinda weird drinking with you…"

Cana's father laughs. "Don't worry darling. Daddy wont lose that easily. Just handle it normally Cana, it'll be fine. I'm looking forward to it!"

Eva examines the man carefully. "I don't believe I got your name?" She asks. He turns around and answers.

"Gildarts Clive, at your service ma'am." He says while making a slight bow in his chair. Eva chuckles. Mira arrives at the table with a full bottle of unopened Kirin. She sets four shot glass in front of each contestant before filling them up. After signaling to each other, they all clang their drinks and down their shots.

**XXbreakXX**

"Sorry princess, but I'm done. I underestimated you, and I'd like my liver intact when I wake up tomorrow. I'm out." Gildarts explains. Gray simply joins Gildarts at a different table, not bothering to explain himself. He was hammered, no two ways about it. What's there to say?

Back at the other table Cana and Eva glare at each other, faces close. "You ready to give up?" Cana asks.

Eva laughs. "Not on your life. I could go on forever. You should consider quitting!" Eva mocks.

Cana scowled. She was right. But Cana couldn't understand it. Twelve shots of the guild's finest ale and she doesn't look the least bit buzzed. Cana could obviously go further, but even she was starting to feel it a bit.

**XXbreakXX**

Gray and Gildarts sit at the bar, both drinking water. Gildarts was drunk, but not in a debilitating manner. Gray, on the other hand, was smashed. He knew he had to agree to Eva's demand or face the consequences later. Eva was evil, that was certain. She'd figure something out.

"So, you noticed?" Gildarts asks Gray. Gray looks at Gildarts questioningly. He doesn't understand.

Gildarts sighs. "I mean her magic power. She's incredible. She said she was ten, right? That's ridiculous. She's trying to hide it too, but I can tell she's close to S-Class."

Gray laughs internally. _"That IS her hiding it." _

"Kitty's a tough one, that's for sure…" Gray says.

Gildarts gives him a strange look. "Kitty?"

Gray smiles widely. He's drunk.

"Yeah, back when I was training with Leon he called her Kitty." Gray says.

Gildarts becomes confused. _"He's met her before? Wait… Training with Leon? That was over ten years ago! This is confusing…" _

"I don't understand. That was a long time ago right?"

"Eva-sensei used to look over some of my training sessions with Ur… She was around a lot. After Leon learned her middle name was Katherine he gave her that nickname. She hates it when people call her that. It's funny…" Gray hiccups afterwards.

Gildarts puts it all together. He's surprised, but not overly so. _"The 'Dark Evangel' in Fairy Tail eh? Why's she disguised as a ten year-old? I take it what I'm feeling from her now IS her holding back. Her title puts the 'Ten Wizard Saints' to shame. She's probably hiding out here. Should I tell the Master? No, this was alcohol-induced information. Better leave it as-is." _

"I'm gone for just a few hours and this is what I come back to? Cease this nonsense" Makarov commands. He walks up to Eva, who's pouting because her drinks are being taken away.

"Where do you want your mark?" He asks.

Eva thinks about it. She holds out her left shoulder to Makarov. "Light blue." She states simply. Makarov complies and marks her. Eva is now a member of Fairy Tail.

"Do you intend to stay at the dormitory?" Makarov asks.

Eva shakes her head. "In case you forgot, I was homeless. I don't have the money." She responds.

"She can stay with me."

The guild looks over at Gray. He's drunk still, and they're not sure why he offered.

"Are you sure?" Makarov asks.

"I live in a two bedroom apartment. I only use one." He states simply.

Makarov whispers into Eva's ear. "He's quite drunk right now. Stay at his place tonight, and we'll ask again tomorrow morning when he's lucid."

Eva grins and accepts. _"So my cute student wants me to stay close huh?" _She thinks to herself.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the guild Juvia is fuming. _"Taking advantage of an inebriated Gray-sama… A rival!"_

The guild starts to calm down a bit. Natsu, Lucy, and Wendy had left earlier, considering they're not big on drinking. Gazille sat off to the side by himself for the night, just drinking modestly. He kept a close eye on Eva though. As Eva got up to help Gray home he called her out.

"Katherine!" He says in an attention-grabbing manner, not too loudly. Eva looks at him strangely. He ushers her over. She shrugs her shoulders and complies. She sits next to him, a bit confused as to why he needed her.

"What is it? Gonna call me out like the other mutt?" She asks coldly.

Gazille nods. "Yeah, but not so obviously, like a certain idiot." He responds.

"Shoot then."

"What are you?"

"A vampire."

"Where are you from?"

"I forget."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm hiding."

"From who?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Why do they want to find you?"

"Lots of counts of murder."

"How do you now ice breath?"

"I was his sensei awhile back."

"Is Katherine your real name?"

"No."

"What is?"

"Evangeline."

"How old are you?"

"421."

Gazille pauses for this one.

"Are you dangerous?"

There's an eerie silence between them. Eva exhales dramatically.

"I'm not, but when the people looking for me show up it'll be a dangerous situation. I'd like to make that as far in the future as possible though."

Gazille nods in return. "Call me crazy, but I believe everything you said. I'll keep quiet, and in exchange you don't fuck things up. Deal?"

"Deal. Now if you'll excuse me I've got an ice mage to carry home." She walks away from Gazille with an off-handed wave. She shows up at the bar, but Gray had passed out since offering her a place to stay. She turns back towards the guild.

"Anybody else know where this idiot stays?" She asks bluntly. Mira pulls out a slip of paper and writes down an address and hands it to her. Gildarts eyes her nervously, but sucks it up and talks to her.

"_She doesn't seem dangerous. Whatever." _"I'll help you take Gray home." Gildarts offers.

"No need." Eva responds simply while easily hoisting Gray over her shoulder with one arm. The guild looks at her surprised. She walks over to Mira and grabs the address before leaving.

"If you say so… Kitty…" Gildarts says teasingly. The glass of water in his hand shatters instantly, startling him. Eva turns around slowly with an evil look directed at Gildarts.

"Had a nice talk with Gray-san did you?" She asks coldly. Gildarts feels the killing intent, but stands firm.

"Yeah. It was fun."

"Did he tell you how much I hate that name as well?" She asks in the same tone. She's a little unnerved at just HOW much information Gray might have given out, but is only concerned about this piece at the moment.

"He did. Hafta say you delivered quite well. I could get used to teasing you." He responds with a teasing smile. Eva realizes that pressing further would only serve to feed the man's amusement. She turns away quickly and walks away.

"This guild is nuts." She says in an exasperated manner.

Gildarts grins widely. "But that's what makes it fun, right?"

A small smile touches Eva's features. "I guess so."

Eva leaves the guild with a passed out Gray, pondering what situations are to come…

**XxChapter EndxX**

**Took this opportunity to bring some characters into the loop. Eva will have friendly relationships with Gray, Mira, Cana, Gazille, Laxus, and Gildarts. I have two different possibilities on how she would meet Laxus, one being he was allowed back into the guild, or another being during a mission. I'm not sure which to use as of now.**

**Still working on that objective. For now though, she'll just form a team with Gray and maybe another. Not sure who. She'll take missions and whatnot. The works. Wont give away too much.**

**Read and review.**

**Xeno out. Peace.**


	3. Where You Belong

Eva walks into the guild with Gray. She found his house quite easily last night, but there were a few problems. It was indeed a two bedroom apartment, but he was the only one living there. Obviously, the second bedroom didn't actually have a bed in it. Needless to say, Gray got the couch. Not that he was competent enough to realize half the shit that happened that night.

It's obvious to everyone that Gray has a massive hangover. He really couldn't remember what had happened after the drinking game, but whatever it was had Eva pretty angry. As he sat down at the bar with Eva, something strange occurred. Gildarts sat down next to them. Now, it wasn't the fact that he sat next to them that was strange. It was that he was at the guild at 10:00am. Gildarts was obviously there for a reason. He doesn't beat around the bush and addresses Eva immediately, but discretely.

"Who's in the know about your… 'Circumstances'" He asks carefully.

Eva forms a tick mark before responding. "Gray spilled the beans didn't he?" She says as more of a statement than a question.

Gildarts merely nods.

Eva turns to Gray with a menacing look. The killing intent she released was enough to make the entire guild a little shaky, but they weren't exactly aware that it was Eva doing it.

Gray is scared shitless. Eva did things to him he would've rather lived without experiencing when she was in a GOOD mood. Seeing her like this did not bode well with him. The only thing that kept him mentally intact was the fact that they were in the middle of the guild, and she had cover to keep.

Gray rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm really sorry sensei. I really don't drink that much very often. It was a mistake on my part, just don't kill me. Please?" Gray pleads.

Eva wasn't that mad at Gray specifically though. She more or less pressured him into that state. If she hadn't pulled him into that ridiculous drinking game with Cana he wouldn't have gotten drunk enough to hand out that kind of vital information. She had to look at things as they were:

Three people in the guild knew exactly who she was, and two others are more than suspicious. That wasn't exactly ideal for "cover". She needed to keep a low profile, and if there were people that knew, perhaps it would be better to get on their good side. Gray was ruled by fear, and respect to a certain extent, but Gildarts and Gazille had no allegiance. If they wanted to sell her out they could do so at any time. It was Eva's job to make sure they liked her enough to not do that. She had an idea…

"Gildarts-san, would you like to make a team with me and Gray?" Eva asks in her "Katherine" attitude.

Gildarts strokes his facial hair, thinking about it.

He finally answers. "No, I'll pass. Nothing personal, but I usually work alone, and right now I'm still recovering from a failed mission. I even had to go and get beat up already, and I'd like to make sure my body is in good shape before a head out on tougher quests. Get back to me in a few weeks, I might take you up on your offer later." Gildarts answers truthfully.

Eva respects his reasoning and leaves it at that. "Well then, who am I going to get to team up with me and Gray? I need money for a bed at least." Eva complains.

Gray speaks up. "Sorry to break it to you Katherine, but I'm a member of 'Team Natsu'. I do most of my team missions with them." Gray explains.

Eva forms a tick mark. "You're choosing to stay in a team led by the pink-haired mutt over an intelligent girl like me, who also happens to use the same kind of magic?" Eva said angrily.

Gray nods nervously. That's how it was, no two ways about it.

Just then a familiar, loud, and obnoxious voice rings out. "Who are you callin' a mutt! I oughta' kick yer ass!" Natsu screams from across the guild.

Eva chuckles under her breath. "He's got mutt-like hearing too. Interesting." She says.

"I heard that!" Natsu yells.

Lucy pulls Natsu off the table. "Natsu, calm down! She's ten! Don't let her get to you. You're the 'senpai' here, so don't ruin your image in one go!"

"Ha! He ruined his image the minute he showed me his pink hair!" Eva mocks.

Natsu was getting angry. Fast. But Eva was far from done yet.

"A mutt who can't keep his emotions under control is nothing but a hindrance on a mission. He acts out rashly and rudely, and probably ruins all diplomatic opportunities during missions. If he wants respect, he needs to stiffen up, learn some respect, and dye his hair black. Until then, he's no 'senpai' of mine." Eva says.

Natsu had had enough. He jumped towards Eva and squatted so they were eye level with each other.

Eva stares unflinchingly. "Can't handle the truth mutt?" She mocks.

Natsu was getting dangerously close to punching this girl. He didn't care if it was wrong. He felt she deserved it at this point. Surprisingly, Lucy came to his defense.

"Natsu may not be very docile, but he cares very much about all of his comrades on a mission. He always stands firm and never backs down from a fight." Lucy reasons.

Eva closes her eyes. She opens them to reveal a deadly glare.

"HOW ARROGANT…" She states darkly. The majority of the guild watching this little exchange are taken aback.

"A boy with no knowledge of fear is a hindrance on the battlefield. If he believes that a firm resolve is all it takes to beat his opponent he's quite mistaken. When an enemy is stronger than you, you run. When your friend is captured you retreat and make a covert plan. The 'Get in it's face and punch it till it stops moving' plan isn't going to get you anywhere once you reach the higher echelons of mages. There are people in this world you can't even begin to match up to. Sympathy and egotistical tendencies are not what makes a mage. The ability to avoid confrontation when possible and to make smart moves without provoking the enemy are the most effective courses of action. One day you will encounter an opponent you absolutely cannot defeat. You'll probably be fighting him alone. And you know what'll happen when you refuse to run and stick to some self-satisfying code of honor?" Eva rants. Everybody was dead quiet.

"You die. Simple as that. The part of you that thinks you're unbeatable needs to go, and be replaced with a logical, battle-smart mentality. A true mage doesn't rise up to simple provocations and claim to be above everybody else. He does what is smart and right without making a fool out of himself, something you obviously have trouble doing. Despite my age I've probably gone through far more harrowing situations than you. You take knowledge from both victories and defeats alike. I can only imagine how many foes you've defeated with this balls out mentality only to not reflect on HOW you actually did win. You probably just celebrate and go see your friends. You're a pitiful excuse for a mage, and if you think seniority is all it takes to talk down to me you're wrong." She continued to rant. Natsu was staring at her blankly. She was tearing him a new one in front of the whole guild, and they'd only met yesterday.

"You are a mutt. A mutt with no knowledge of how cruel life can be. I've heard stories. Daddy left you did he? Well tough fucking luck. I'll tell you what I told Gray-san yesterday. A tough life is nothing more than a test of one's strength of spirit. The fact that you jump at every opportunity to find this 'Igneel' character while ignoring everything else shows that your state of mind is clouded. Igneel isn't here. Deal with it. The fact that you cry yourself to sleep at night over such a trivial fact is pitiful. Life isn't easy. It wasn't meant to be. Your strength of spirit is weak. Pull your shit together and grow some tact. Come back to me when you're more civil. Mutt." Eva finishes. The part about Igneel had drawn the last straw. He lashed out and punched Eva straight in the face, sending her past Mira and into a keg, breaking it.

The guild was in shock. Natsu had just pulverized Eva with no remorse. Natsu realized what he had done as he looked at his knuckles, covered in Eva's blood. He hit her that hard. So hard that only one punch drew blood. He felt horrible, but instead of doing the right thing and going to her aid, he turned around and ran out of the guild. As the majority of the guild rushed behind the counter to help her up, she simply stood up on her own. She was covered in ale from breaking the keg. Her hair was soaked, and the left side of her face was bloodied. The killing intent she leaked was staggering.

"Somebody needs to teach that mutt a lesson." She stated darkly. Mira ran up to her and started to clean the blood from her face.

"Are you okay Katherine-chan! This is horrible. Nobody should ever do that to a comrade!" She said with a firm resolve.

Eva scoffed at the statement. "He's no comrade of mine. Him lashing out at me only served to further prove my point. He acts based on emotion, and when caught up in the midst of things, he acts in no one's interest but his own. It appears once again that a verbal lashing isn't enough to get that through that pink head of his." She said before pausing.

"I'm going to go find him and deal with him the way he's accustomed to." The guild was shocked at this declaration. Natsu may be as brash as she said, but he was at the level of an S-Class mage. This ten year-old newbie didn't know what she was getting into. Some even thought she was contradicting her own advice by taking this course of action.

Eva turned to Gazille's corner. "Gazille, you're coming with me." She demands. Gazille only glares at her.

Eva sighs. "Oh, don't be such a spoilsport. It'll be fun. You don't want to watch me tear that pick-haired mutt to pieces?" She says playfully.

Gazille's features brighten up at this. "A chance to see Salamander's dumb ass get the shit beat of it by a ten year-old girl? I'm game." Gazille responds.

Both her and Gazille promptly exit, leaving a speechless guild.

**XxBreakxX**

Natsu sits at the same park Eva and Gray talked at the day before. He stopped thinking about the fact that he had hit Eva pretty quickly, instead turning his thoughts to her stern lecture. He then picks up a scent he really didn't want to smell at this point. It was Eva, and Gazille was with her. He slowly found their voices coming into hearing range.

"You mean to tell me you brought me along just so I could find him for you? You better not be thinking you can treat me like a mutt the way you do lizard-breath!" Gazille complains.

"Oh can it you big baby. You're still going to get to see what I promised. Is this the place?" Eva asks.

Gazille nods. "Yeah, just down that hill. It reeks of Natsu. Go tear 'im a new one."

Eva chuckles. "I already did. This time lets not have it be a metaphor." She said evilly.

Gazille grinned widely. _"Oh yeah, I like this chick." _He thinks. They walk down the hill to Natsu, who's already in a fighting stance.

"You're really that eager to lose are you? Shouldn't there be a part of you that fears those on a higher plane of power? Do you really think it possible for you to beat me? I may have said that overconfidence is an issue you need to address, but my circumstances are different. I have the right to be condescending because I have the power to back up my claims. To you still believe you have a chance? If so you're even more of an idiot than I initially thought." Eva mocks.

Natsu didn't care. He wasn't going to let this brat get the better of him. She may have beaten him in verbal combat, but this was the real deal. He was much better at this form of "problem solving". She was right about one thing though. He really did fear her from the bottom of his heart, a feeling he was desperately trying to deny. He couldn't completely erase the feeling though, so he at least had the decency to go all out from the start. He leaned back before sending his only long-range attack directly at Eva.

"Karyuu no Houkou!" Natsu yelled as a stream of fire emerged from his mouth and flew towards Eva. As it drew closer to her she simply smirked. She reared her hand to the side and chopped right through the fire once it got in range. The fire dissipated almost instantly.

Natsu was gobsmacked. "How did you extinguish the fire like that!" He demanded.

Eva held up her arm, her fingers still straight from the chopping motion. As he looked closer his eyes widened. Protruding from her hand was a blue blade of pure magical energy that was at least a few feet long.

"Ensis Exsequens" Eva reveals.

"A concentration of magical energy molded into the shape of a sword. It takes on properties akin to the user's elemental affinity, in my case being ice. The sword is as hot as the sun, as it continuously drains heat from the atmosphere. One cut and the wound as well as all the space around it will freeze. A sword that brings that which it swings through to absolute zero! Do you honestly believe your fire can possibly stand up to such strength?" Eva mocks.

Natsu was legitimately scared. She had an ice spell that could be considered the very bane of all fire mage's existences. Natsu was afraid to engage her in close combat. One cut, even if it missed, was all it would take to drop Natsu's body temperature to dangerous levels. Eva wasn't exactly up for a stare down at the moment though. She wasn't on anybody's schedule but her own.

Eva crouched on the ground and placed both of her palms flat on it's surface.

"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac! Veniant Spiritus Glaciales! Extentantur Aeri Tundram et Glaciem, Loci Noctis Albae!" Circles of blue energy formed on the ground under and around Natsu.

"Crystallitatio Tellustris!" Eva finished as the giant spears of ice shot up from the circles. Natsu was cut all over, and his feet were fastened to the ground by ice because he was standing directly on one of the circles. Natsu looked up and was about to open his mouth the taunt Eva, but he noticed she wasn't where she was a moment ago. He looks down to see Eva right in front of him, her palm on his chest.

"Gelidus Capulus" Eva chants as Natsu almost instantly becomes incased in ice. She raises her Ensis Exsequens and swings downwards, cutting through the ice like butter, causing a large gash on Natsu's chest. As the ice shattered Natsu's body fell limp at Eva's feet.

Eva looks down as his defeated form. "This is where a mutt belongs: At his master's feet." She states before turning away and walking towards Gazille.

Gazille grins at her widely. "You don't disappoint do you princess?" He says humorously.

He's surprised to see a serious look on Eva's face.

"No. This WAS a disappointment." She stated before simply walking up the hill back to the guild.

**XxChapter EndxX**

**This chapter was mad fun to write. It was a bit short, but I think the message Eva got through to Natsu was clear, and I also got to write a short fight scene. **

**Next chapter the good shit happens, and the chapter after that has a nice surprise that I think all good Negima fans will like.**

**Xeno out. Peace.**

**XxSpell InfoxX**

Karyuu no Houkou-Fire Dragon's Roar

Ensis Exsequens-Executioner's Sword

Lic Lac La Lac Liliac-Eva's spell key. Pure gibberish.

Crystallitatio Tellustris-Frozen Earth

Crystallitatio Tellustris (Chant)-Come, Spirits of Ice! Tundra and Glacier Spread Forth into the Air, in the Realm of White Night!

Gelidus Capulus-Freezing Ice Coffin


	4. Fate Averruncus

Eva, Gazille, and Mira all trudge through the muddy countryside. This is their first mission as a team. For the past week, Eva had been doing C and B-Class jobs. Escorts and deliveries really didn't tickle Eva's fancy, but she had to deal. Eva could be a chooser, by "Katherine" couldn't. Today was a happy day for her. She had been sent on an S-Class job.

**XxFlashbackxX**

"_An S-Class job? You mean it? I haven't been able to hit anything since I beat up the mutt last week!" Eva says excitedly. _

_Makarov strokes his beard before responding. "Beating Natsu last week was indeed surprising, but none of us were there besides Gazille. I'm not accusing you of anything, but before we upgrade your class status you need field experience. The council just posted a request to take down a moderately powerful dark guild. They call themselves 'Black Phoenix'." Makarov explains. _

"_Normally, taking down a dark guild is an A-Class job, seeing as though just a handful of our tougher mages could do the job. The reason this job is S-Class is because the current leader of the guild, Daniel Anderson, is an S-Class mage himself. Defeating him is part of the job. I'll let you go with any of the S-Class mages you desire and one other."_

_Eva didn't even have to think about it. "I'm going with Mira-san and Gazille." She states. _

_Mira is a bit surprised. "Why me? I'm really not up to snuff right now. I'm not sure…" Mira says nervously._

_Eva waves off her concern. "Gazille was an S-Class mage in his old guild right? With him along for the ride we'll be fine. Think of this as a chance to get back in shape. The title of S-Class isn't just for show. The guild needs you. Besides. I like you guys." Eva compliments, leaving no room for discussion. _

**XxFlashback EndxX**

"WHY do these people have to live in a marsh?" Eva complains.

"They're hiding. Of course they'd be in a place you'd normally be uncomfortable traveling to." Mira answers.

"Either way it sucks. I can't wait to bust some heads. I haven't let go it a while!" Gazille exclaims.

"You won't have to wait much longer. I can see the guild." Eva says while squinting her eyes. She notices a very war-torn looking building. There are holes all over it and the guild sign is on the ground.

As they get closer Mira looks at the guild appraisingly. "This place doesn't really look occupied… Do you think they caught wind of the request going out?" Mira inquires.

"I don't know. The request was verbal. There was no paper to intercept." Gazille explains.

"Do you think the Balam Alliance has an informant in the council then?" Mira ponders.

"Well we aren't going to figure anything out standing here. Lets go inside and look around. Even if the guild's empty we might-"

**BOOM!**

A large explosion racks the guild, shaking the ground. A giant pillar of stone protrudes from the roof of the guild.

"I guess you're getting your action after all Gazille." Eva says playfully.

"You never disappoint do you princess?" Gazille replies.

"Come on, we're going in!" Mira commands.

Mira runs forward and kicks in the door before moving in with Gazille and Eva close behind. What they are greeted with is startling. Countless stone statues of the guild members litter the guild's main room. The place is a mess, showing many signs of spells being fired off in the room. At the far end of the room they see something.

A small white-haired boy wearing a bluish-grey suit holds a man in the air by his throat. He pulls the man towards him before speaking. His voice is extremely monotonous, having no change in tone.

"You're a fool Anderson. You see those mages at the door? Fairy Tail. First you don't pay us this month's tribute, then you leak your position to the council? Absolutely pitiful." The boy taunts.

Anderson finally responds weakly. "Bite me kid. I'm not going out that easily."

The man grabs the boy by the wrist holding him up before chanting a spell.

"Magna dui Incendium!" The man's body begins to glow red before cracking in certain places.

"Exstinquo Ipsum!" The man cries before exploding. The force of the blast knocks Eva and her partners to the ground. The entire half of the guild the man was at is gone, the forest outside plain to see. For quite a ways, trees are destroyed. The blast was immense. But that wasn't the crazy part by far.

As the smoke cleared the boy simply stood their. His clothes were filthy, but other than that he was completely unharmed.

He dusts off his suit before speaking to no one in particular. "Seriously? This is my only suit. The man's more of a fool than I thought." He says monotonously before looking over at the Fairy Tail party.

"I'm afraid you've seen too much. I was supposed to take them out before you showed up. Seeing as though I've failed, the proper course of action would be to-"

The boy is cut off as a large metal pole is jammed right into his face, sending him to the floor a few feet back. Mira and Eva turn around to see Gazille's left arm extended. He retracts his arm before nursing his hand.

"What the hell's that kid made of! I barely knocked him five feet and my hand hurts like hell!" Gazille complains.

"I'm not about to wait and let him explain!" Eva shouts before jumping into the air above the boy. Her arm is held high.

"Malleus Aquilonis!" Eva shouts as a large block of ice forms. She brings her hand down on the boy, causing the block of ice to follow suit. As she feels the attack collide with something, she notices something's wrong. It stopped too soon. She looks down to see the boy on one knee with a single hand extended upwards, holding off the block of ice. He chants something under his breath before the ice turns to dust.

"Convertimini ad Pulverem." He stands back up and dusts off his suit again. "You should really let someone finish while they're-"

All of a sudden Mira's right hand is clawed onto the boy's face. She slams him into the ground before running forward a bit, dragging him through the floorboards. After a decent distance she pulls him up and tosses him away.

"Katherine-chan, Gazille, keep him occupied while I charge up my Take-Over!" Mira demands.

Mira falls back and forms a circle of dark energy above her in the air and begins charging it with her magical power. Gazille and Eva step forward, waiting for the boy to get back up. As the boy stands back up he looks at his right shoulder (the one that was dragged through the floorboards with the side of his head.). The suit is torn and his upper-arm is completely exposed.

"Dear lord this is disappointing." He says to himself in that same dead tone. He looks at the two foes in front of him before pointing two fingers at them.

"Visju Tal Li Sjutal Vangèit! Basiliske Galeōte meta Kōktō Podōn kai Kakoin Ommatoin to Phōs Emēi Cheiri Kathias tōi Kakōi Dergmati Toxeusatō!" The boy chants before pausing. At the tip of his extended fingers a small light shines.

"Kakon Omma Petrōseōs!" The boy finishes as a sharp beam of light is sent forward at Gazille and Eva. Thinking quick, Eva ducks down and grabs Gazille by his ankles before making a short, quick chant.

"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac! Decoco cum Inferno Regni. Umbra Ambula!" Eva says as a black circle of dark energy forms under her and Gazille. They both quickly fall into the ground as the boy's attack collides with the ground. As the explosion's dust clears from the boy's attack, the site of the attack is revealed to be pure stone.

"Hm?" The boy wonders. He didn't see Eva flee. All of a sudden he feels hands wrap around both of his ankles. He looks down to see Eva grabbing each one from inside a portal of darkness.

"An interesting spell, but pointless. I can break this hold easily." The boy simply taunts. He tries to go through on his taunt, but ends up surprised. He really can't remove himself from the girl's grasp.

"You have decent strength, but no matter, I can still-" The boy ceases his taunting when he sees Gazille emerge from a similar portal behind him.

Gazille gives the boy an evil grin. "It doesn't matter if you can. She only needs to hold you for a few seconds." Gazille explains as he rears his body back. The boy's eyes go wide as Gazille heaves forward.

"Tetsuryuu no Houkou!" He yells as a whirlwind of scrap and iron head towards the boy. Eva promptly releases her hold on the boy before retreating back into the shadows. As the shards of metal tear through the boy he's lifted off the ground and thrown forward. While flying through the air he opens his eyes and looks forward. He sees Mira raise her arms and promptly bring them downs, causing the energy above her to follow suit. As the magic circle phases through her body she changes her appearance to that of a demon. Wings, scales, and a tail. The works.

"Satan Soul!" Mira yells as she flies towards the boy. She rears back to punch as the boy does the same. As their fists meet, the momentum from both of them being in flight causes the impact to be many times more impressive. As a loud crack is heard, a gust of wind can be felt throughout the room. Neither mage's punch was superior, so they both hit the ground lightly.

The boy looks down at his attire. "Do you people have a problem my suit or something?" He says monotonously while appraising his clothes. After Gazille's attack, they were torn to shit. Soon after his complaint, his three enemies surround him.

The boy points his palm to the ground. "Visju Tal Li Sjutal Vangèit. Basiliske Galeōte meta Kōktō Podōn kai Kakoin Ommatoin Pnoēn Tou Iou Ton Chronon Parairousan!" As magic energy concentrates into the boy's palm, Eva realizes something wrong.

She points each of her hands at Gazille and Mira. "Repellit!" She chants as a small burst of magical energy throws them both a distance away, right as the boy finishes his chant.

"Pnoē Petras!" He shouts as a cloud of dust bursts from his palm and covers the immediate area quickly.

"Katherine-chan!" Mira shouts worriedly. As the smoke clears Eva is revealed to be alive, but her entire left arm is stone.

"Shit…" Eva curses under her breath. She sees Mira run towards her but stops her.

"It's not fatal! Keep your eye on the brat!" She yells.

Mira holds out both of her palms and brings them together. "Evil Spark!" She yells as a bolt of electricity lashes at the boy. At the same time, Gazille is approaching the boy's rear, getting ready for a punch. Fate easily dodges the spark and turns around to kick Gazille. As his foot collides with the man's chest, he realizes that Gazille had turned his chest to steel before contact. He grabbed the boy's leg and spun around in circles a few times to build momentum. He lets go to send the boy careening into one of the only standing walls in the destroyed guild.

From the dust created by the collision, the boy's voice can be heard. "Lapis Niger!"

Multiple black rocks emerge from the dust and strike Gazille, knocking him over. They hit pretty hard. As the boy ceases his attack and picks himself up from the ruble of the now destroyed wall, he's forced to think fast and dodge a bolt of thunder directed at him. He looks in Mira's direction and sees her send off more Evil Sparks. They move extremely fast, but the boy still moves faster. Mira was trying her best to get a hold of him, but at the end of the day all she was doing was wasting magic power.

The boy chants quickly under his breath. "Visju Tal Li Sjutal Vangèit! To Teichos Dierxasthō!". A pointed rod of stone appears in the boys hand. He rears his arm back and throws it fiercely.

"Doru Petras!" He yelled as the spear careens through the air towards Mira. It was much faster than she had anticipated, but she still responded accordingly. Mira clasps her hands together before a wall of wind appears in front of her.

"Evil Wind!" She yells as the wall of wind's speed intensifies. Intending to stop the spear, Mira waits for the spear to come into contact with the wall. Unluckily for her, the spear had barrier breaking properties. Even a defensive spell of this level served only to divert the spear's course downwards a bit. It efficiently pierced straight through Mira's left thigh, causing her to scream in pain.

The boy wastes no time attempting a follow-up, but as he moved to act, he felt a hand grab his left shoulder. He turns around to see Eva, with her right arm cocked all the way back. She shows no signs of petrification, surprising him. Her entire forearm is encased in ice.

"Frigus Pugnus!" Eva yells as she smashes her fist into the boys face. She hits him so hard the ice around her arm shatters on impact. The boy flies forward and hit's the ground face first. As he slowly brings himself back up he spits out some blood.

"_Thank god I made it in time" _Eva thinks to herself.

**XxFlashbackxX**

_As Mira and Gazille follow Eva's advice and continue attacking the boy, Eva moves to treat her arm. It had been completely turned to stone and was attempting to spread the effects to the rest of her body. If it hit her throat she might suffocate. After making sure that no eyes were on her she takes the most effective course of action. After forming her __Ensis Exsequens__ she promptly cuts off her arm at the shoulder. Right afterwards, in a burst of smoke, a new arm appears, good as new. Eva then hears Mira scream in pain, forcing her to jump into action._

**XxFlashback EndxX**

"You people are beginning to aggravate me." He states coldly. Eva is already moving towards him to attack again, but the boy simply backhands her with out looking, sending her back a distance. He turns to attack her in turn but feels a hand touch his right arm. Furious that someone had managed to sneak up on him AGAIN he turned to confront the person only to see that it was Gazille's arm, but Gazille wasn't necessarily in front of him. Gazille was over by Mira, but he had extended his arm to grab the boy.

Mira grabs both of Gazille's shoulders. "You sure about this?" She asks seriously.

Gazille just laughs. "Let 'er rip!" He screams maniacally. Mira strikes Gazille with an Evil Spark, causing the travel through his extended arm, using the iron as a conductor. Grunting in pain, Gazille takes it like a man. He knows what he's doing. As the electricity finally hit's the boy he winces before quickly prying Gazille's arm off of himself. As Gazille hit's the ground, exhausted, Mira is already preparing her next spell.

She raises her fist and brings it straight down. "Evil Fissure!" She yells as a large gash through the earth travels towards the boy, but he easily jumps into the air to avoid it. As he takes to the air he can hear a voice above him. He looks up to see Eva hovering over him, chanting.

"Nivis Casus!" A large volume of snow and ice is conjured in the air around her before she sends it at the boy, causing blunt trauma heavy enough to send him flying into the fissure Mira made. As her disappears into the cracked earth Mira digs her hands into the ground on both sides of the fissure.

"Capsize!" She yells as she repairs the fissure with pure strength, crushing the pour soul inside and ending the fight.

Eva runs over to Mira who had dropped her Satan Soul and was nursing her injured leg. Gazille laid face-down on the ground but wasn't unconscious.

"Did we win?" He asks exhaustedly while turning his head to look at his allies.

Mira tosses him one of her trademark smiles. "Yep! You did good!" She praises.

Eva laughs weakly. "You took that thunder spell from Mira just to attack that kid. You got balls of steel Gazille." Eva says.

Gazille chuckles. "Iron actually."

After a short pause Eva asks what everybody really had on their mind. "Who exactly was that boy?" She asks.

"I don't know, but-" Mira is cut off by a feint rumbling sound a ways ahead of them. A small bulge appears in the ground before it ruptures, revealing the boy, who was climbing out of Mira's deathtrap. He was a mess though.

Mira looks at him in fear. "W-who are you?" She asks shakily.

The boy looks them dead in the eye with his usual emotionless look. "You people are strong. Much stronger than I had imagined. To force me to retreat really is something." He says while turning around and walking away.

"My name is Fate Averruncus. Pray this is the last time you hear it."

**XxChapter EndxX**

**That was SO damn fun to write. This chapter was also a bit short, but it was pure combat. That surprise I talked about last chapter wont actually come next chapter. It'll probably be chapter six, so stay tuned. I hope you enjoyed it, and as usual, read and review!**

**Xeno out. Peace.**

**XxSpell InfoxX**

Exstinquo Ipsum*-Self Destruct

Exstinquo Ipsum* (Chant)-Great Conflagration Ignite!

Malleus Aquilonis-Hammer of the Ice God

Convertimini ad Pulverem*-Return to Dust

Visju Tal Li Sjutal Vangèit!-Fate's activation key. Translation unsure.

Kakon Omma Petrōseōs-Gaze of Petrification

Kakon Omma Petrōseōs (Chant)-Basilisk, Lizard with Eight Legs and Evil Eyes! Light Placed into My Hand, Shoot Forth the Evil Look!

Lic Lac La Lac Lilac-Eva's spell key. Sounds like nonsense to me.

Umbra Ambula**-Shadow Walk

Umbra Ambula** (Chant)-Fuse into the Nether-Realm!

Tetsuryuu no Houkou-Iron Dragon's Roar

Pnoē Petras-Breath of Stone

Pnoē Petras (Chant)-Basilisk, Lizard with Eight Legs and Evil Eyes! Breath of Poison Stealing Time!

Lapis Niger-Black Rock

Doru Petras-Spear of Stone

Doru Petras (Chant)-Pass Through the Wall!

Frigus Pugnus*-Frozen Fist

Nivis Casus-Falling Snow

*-Original spell made up by me.

**-Unoriginal spell, but original name and chant


	5. Cosmo Entelecheia

Eva finally approaches the Fairy Tail guild. Hoisted over each of her shoulders are an unconscious Gazille and a conscious-but immobile-Mira.

Eva sighs before addressing the woman on her left shoulder. "We're finally here… I swear your boobs are at least 30% of your body weight. And Gazille? Don't even get me started. His body is like pure iron. He weighs A LOT more than a man his age should." Eva complains.

Mira laughs nervously. "Sorry about that Katherine-chan, but being impaled through the leg isn't fun. I'm not walking until Wendy fixes it." Mira explains.

Eva sighs in defeat. She knew that, she was just upset. That boy was far beyond what any of them would've imagined. What she believed to be the appropriate amount of force at the time would end up being far from enough to take the boy down. Even if she WAS more powerful than Fate, every time she attacked she would have to re-evaluate her opinions on his strength. She couldn't complain though. She was basically unharmed. Gazille was covered in burns and bruises while Mira had a hole through her left thigh.

What DID manage to piss Eva off was the ONE hit Fate landed. It was the type of wound that left a mark even after healing. Eva's vampiric abilities would heal any wound, no exceptions. But bruises were different. The force of Fate's backhand broke blood vessels under her check, causing the red coloration to appear on her face-a bruise. Her regenerative powers repaired and replaced the damaged blood cells, but the leaked blood from the blood vessels wasn't exactly an injury in-and-of-itself. It was just wandering blood. Eva had a black eye, and she absolutely hated it.

As Eva kicks open the door to the guild she walks in. The whole guild stares in shock at their appearances.

Mira simply lifts her head up from Eva's shoulder and waves at the guild. "Hi everybody. There were… A few problems." She says jokingly.

As Elfman and Lisanna dash for Mira faster than anybody else, Eva sets her gently on one of the benches in front of a table. After that, she simply drops Gazille like a rock to the floor. He remains face down, unmoving. Some of the males in the guild were worried about Mira, but hesitant to get close in her current appearance. She had torn off the left end of her skirt and used it to wrap up her wounded thigh. The edge of her panties and the entirety of her left leg could be seen.

Eflman speaks up worriedly. "What happened to your leg Nee-chan! Are you okay?"

Lisanna joins him shortly after. "Was the job really that tough? Maybe you should have stayed behind Mira-nee!"

Mira waves off their concern. "The guy only hit me once. Katherine-chan already treated the wound, so I just need to wait for Wendy to fix it up." She explains.

Macao joins the conversation. "Was it that Anderson guy? He couldn't have been THAT strong. All three of you are injured. Did the guild get in the way?" He asks.

Eva sits down and laughs while crossing her legs. "We didn't even get to fight Anderson. We did show up in time to watch him blow himself up though." She says bluntly.

Cana is confused. "What are you talking about?"

Mira explains this time. "When we showed up the entire Black Phoenix guild, bar Anderson, was already dead. Somebody higher up in the chain of dark guild's sent a man to eliminate the guild before we showed up. They didn't like the fact that the council caught wind of their location. As we entered the guild only Anderson was left, but the boy had already beaten him. In a last ditch effort to come out on top he used a spell to blow himself up." Mira finished.

"Wait, a BOY destroyed the entire guild before you guys showed up? Not a man?" Elfman interjected.

Eva nodded. "He looked barely older than me. He had pure white hair and wore a bluish-grey suit. Wasn't much use by the time we were done with him." She says before laughing.

Wakaba walks up to Gazille and pokes him with his foot before speaking. "Is he going to be okay? He's a complete mess." He asks.

Eva waves off his concern. "Metal head will be fine, don't worry."

Nab looks at him as well. "I don't know, but-" Nab is cut off by a noise coming from Gazille.

He was snoring.

"See? I told you." Eva reiterates.

"I find it hard to believe just a boy could eliminate an entire dark guild AND manage to injure three high-level Fairy Tail mages. Was he that strong?" Lisanna asks.

Mira nods. "He was an earth mage of the highest caliber. I'd never seen a mage like him. If it were any of us against him one-on-one we would have lost." Mira answers.

The guild looks at her disbelievingly. Eva just chuckles under her breath. "You guys maybe…"

Eva looks around the guild. "Where's Wendy? It might not look like it, but Mira's injuries are the worst. She needs treatment. Now." She explains.

Elfman and Lisanna panic a bit.

"Team Natsu is on a mission right now, you know that!" Lisanna responds.

Elfman looks at his sister. "What did that kid do to your leg Nee-chan?" He asks.

Mira looks at him blankly before smiling. "It's not that bad. He just stabbed me with a stone spear." She says like it was the most natural thing. The guild can only sweat drop. As serious as the injury ACTUALLY is, Mira's reaction to said injury just kills the seriousness of it.

Eva laughes a bit before turning to Lisanna. "You know a bit of first-aid right?" She asks.

Lisanna nods and lets Eva continue. "It was a crippling injury. The spear was almost as big as her entire thigh, and when taking her figure into account, that's damn big. The majority of her femur is on the floor at the Black Phoenix guild." Eva explains seriously.

The guild looks at Mira very worriedly. They didn't like the sound of that. Mira just looked at them blankly, as if she was confused as to why they were so upset.

Eva continues. "The spear was thrown quite hard, so it even came out the other side of her leg. On top of that, she had to fight with the spear still in her, so she ended up jostling it around a bit, damaging the surrounding muscles. After the fight was over I pulled out the spear and froze the blood. I made it JUST cold enough to stop the blood from moving while not giving her immediate frostbite. She has about twenty hours before frostbite sets in." She explained further.

Just as the guild was about to start panicking Eva rose her hand to silence them. "While her leg is barely attached to her hip, this is by no means as bad as it should be. If we contribute some of our magic power, Wendy should be able to regenerate the lost bone and muscle. Her leg will be as good as new. If there wasn't an ice mage like me there though, she would have either bled out of lost the leg, so she's quite lucky." Eva finished.

The guild shares a collective sigh of relief. Then Mira makes an uncharacteristic statement.

"If that I wasn't already exhausted I'd have torn him to pieces myself!" She says distastefully with a mean look.

Eva supports her statement. "I'm no saint, but if there's something you just don't do, it's betray your comrades, much less kill them. Whether you look at it a different way or not, whatever guild that boy belonged to was in league with Black Phoenix. They eliminated an ally solely based on the fact that they might have leaked information to the council among interrogation. And on top of that, the boy sent was incredibly powerful. He was a SS-Class mage, and the fact that he was sent as a footman makes me fear the strength of his guild's more powerful members."

A voice from the back of the guild speaks up. "The important thing is that you're all okay."

The guild turns to see Makarov, walking stiffly towards Eva and Mira.

He then adopts a serious look. "But, this boy injured my children, and that cannot be excused. Did you get his name?" Makarov asks angrily.

Mira answers. "He called himself 'Fate Averruncus'."

Makarov strokes his beard. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"It should." Eva interjects. "The name Averruncus is a title the Black Mage Zeref gave to his higher ranking dolls. You've heard the stories of Zeref creating hoards of demons to terrorize the world right? His most powerful creations carried many features his common demons did not. They held intelligence, and to a certain extent, free will and emotions." She explains.

Makarov nods before asking the obvious question. "How are you so knowledgeable in matters concerning Zeref?" He asks Eva.

Eva sighs before answering if a half-truth. "I wont lie. The reason I'm so powerful at this age is because I studied dark magic during my early years of being a mage. At the end of the day I only wound up with a few spells. His magic corrupts. There is no way to use his magic safely. Its something no one can utilize. I was better off not even trying." Eva explained.

Eva technically told the truth. Eva was "created" using Zeref's dark magic, granting her vast magical reserves. When she started learning magic, she dabbled in her passive affinity, darkness. She didn't walk away with that many spells before turning to ice magic. The background affinity she will always carry is darkness, but it carries on only through her nicknames, all of which were gained by her usage of a single spell… But that's a story for another time!

Makarov accepted this explanation and gestured for her to continue. He sensed she was not done.

"Zeref's dolls were as immortal as him. After being sealed by the Ten Wizard Saints 400 years ago during a battle that ended in all of them perishing, the dolls deactivated after being cut off from his magic. They laid in a lair somewhere that the council never did end up finding. Zeref eventually woke up from his slumber about twenty years ago before gathering up his dolls and forming a dark guild her called 'Cosmo Entelecheia'." Eva continued.

"The most powerful light guild of the time was sent by the council to stop his actions before they made themselves known. Nobody really knew what Zeref intended to do with his newly formed guild, but the council wasn't about to wait and find out. The guild sent to destroy Cosmo Entelecheia was known as 'Ala Rubra', led by the mage Nagi Springfield. Nagi was often heralded as the strongest mage ever. You may have heard of him by his nickname, the 'Thousand Master'." Eva explained.

The guild gasped at his name. Of course they had heard of him. He was the world's most powerful mage, but he had died eighteen years ago.

Eva wasn't done yet. "Ala Rubra was a simply amazing guild. The entire guild was comprised of SS-Class Mages. It was a small guild though, holding only a few members. After hearing that they defeated Zeref in their battle, which could only be explained as a war considering how intense it was, I had to learn more about its members."

"Takahata T. Takamichi, Kurt Godel, Konoe Eishun, Albireo Imma, Filius Zect, Jack Rakan, and Nagi Springfield himself. They were all magnificent mages, all gods in their own right. I could tell you much more but that's not the point I'm trying to make right now." She explained.

"Things went moderately well for Ala Rubra during the war, but one problem existed towards the end. Nagi lacked the skills to defeat Zeref. He finally managed to place a seal on his magic power and send him to a place called 'Tenrou Island' I believe. The problem was, to avoid complications Nagi told the council that Zeref was dead. That lie was probably what led to the incident at the Tower of Heaven earlier this year. I heard the whole council was fired because of that fumble." Eva said.

"What I'll never understand is why Ala Rubra disbanded after the war. Most of its members disappeared. Takamichi teaches at a magic school, Eishun runs a dojo, and Kurt got involved in politics. The rest of the guild is unaccounted for. Most of them were declared legally dead after a while once nobody could find them. I suspect that the Thousand Master is very much alive." Eva explains, shocking the guild.

"So the world's most powerful mage might very well still be alive eh? Interesting." Gildarts finally inputs. He'd simply watched from the bar ever since they walked through the door. He was never quick to go off the handle, and knew that Eva and Mira would explain once things calm down. Why make a scene?

"Yes, but that's not what I'm worried about right now. The fact that an Averruncus appeared can only mean that Zeref somehow fled Tenrou island and reestablished Cosmo Entelecheia." Eva finishes.

Makarov is impressed by Eva's knowledge, but of course knows the answer to her last question.

"Tenrou Island is our guild's holy land, where the graves of our fallen members are set. We hadn't visited in a while, and just a month ago we held our S-Class exams there. With the help of a dark guild called 'Grimoire Heart' we disturbed Zeref. We are aware that he left the island, and your interaction with one of his soldiers at the Black Phoenix guild proves he's become active." Makarov explains.

Mira sighs in a depressed manner. "Things are never calm around Fairy Tail are they?" She says.

"They were until Lucy showed up. I swear she's bad luck or something." Cana says before laughing. The guild joins but stop the minute Gazille's snoring reaches it's peak.

Eva face palms. "Get the lug-head a bed. After some sleep and a bath he should be fine."

She turns to Mira. "And you. I think I've got some training for you. After you get fixed up meet me outside the west end of the city. I'll make it worth your while." Eva says before turning around and leaving the guild.

"_Personal lessons from the Dark Evangel herself? I've got to see this…" _Gildarts thinks to himself.

Things were about to get interesting around Fairy Tail…

**XxChapter EndxX**

**This chapter was a bit of an interlude, thus making it my shortest chapter. It still is chocked full of backstory though. I'm attempting to the best of my ability to make many Negima entities part of the Fairy Tail universe. I think I'm doing a pretty good job. **

**Mira's training is the surprise I talked about before, and you won't really have to wait at all to find out. I'm double posting, so just click next chapter to find out!**

**Xeno out. Peace.**


	6. Magia Erebea

Eva, Mira, and Gildarts all stood in an open field far away from the borders of Magnolia town. Eva said that she was going to train Mira after finding out her affinity to dark magic during their encounter with Fate during their last mission. Mira had lived her whole life conditioning her body to be in tune with the forces of darkness, leading Eva to believe that her resistance to the downsides of said spells is drastically reduced.

Mira was surprised as to why Eva had exactly offered to train her. Mira was not in the loop about Eva's extenuating circumstances. As far as she was concerned, Eva was just "Katherine-chan", the young ice mage who showed up at the guild a few days ago. She showed great mastery in the art, but nothing too extraordinary. It could of course be argued that it WAS extraordinary considering her age, but still, what could she be taught by this girl?

Mira had just recently begun to readjust to frequent combat. After Lisanna's "death", Mira had lost the will to fight. Now that she was back, and the guild needed the assistance of an S-Class mage, she had been slowly whipping herself back into fighting shape. She was finally broken out of her musings as Eva addressed her.

"I'm here to teach you one of my original spells. It is dark magic of the highest caliber, but before I teach you there are a few things you need to know about me."

Deciding to ask questions later, Mira listened to Eva.

"My name is not Katherine. My full name is Evangeline Athanesia Katherine McDowell. I am an immortal mage from ages past that came to this guild to find refuge from my pursuers. Over the course of my long life I committed many crimes, most of which are currently coming back to bite me in the ass. I am already acquainted with Gray, so I came to Fairy Tail to hide out. Get over the shock quickly, because I'm not here to waste time." Eva explained.

Mira, being as carefree as she was, took in the information. She, being a dark mage herself had of course heard of Evangeline A.K. McDowell. She was a legend in the art.

"You mean… You're THE Evangeline?" Mira asks shakily.

Eva grinned. "Yes! I am she! The "Dark Evangel", the "Maga Nosferatu", the "Queen of Calamity", the "Apostle of Darkness", the "Doll Master", the "Undead Mage!". I am Evangeline!" She exclaims and laughs evilly. It was obvious she'd introduced herself that way before.

Mira adopts an extremely excited look. "I'm being taught by the forefather of dark magic! This is awesome! What is this spell?" Mira asks eagerly.

Sitting on a nearby hill, Gildarts just laughs. _"If there was anybody in this guild that WOULDN'T be nervous, it would be her wouldn't it? I have to admit though, I'm also a bit curious about this spell of hers." _

Eva looks at Mira seriously. Eva was now in sensei mode. "This is a spell that I developed during the Dark Ages. That time was the most turbulent in my life, seeing as though religion ruled even the government, spreading the fear of witches throughout the countryside. When I would stay in a place too long and not age, the townsfolk would grow suspicious and pull together a witch hunt. In order to survive the countless onslaughts of the government mages, I worked on the ultimate dark magic to protect myself and augment my physical and magical capabilities at the same time. It took me ten years to develop. Its called 'Magia Erebea'." Eva explained. Mira listened intently and just nodded.

"The basic principle of the magic is simple. You absorb an offensive spell into your own body, allowing you to utilize the magic power from the spell to strengthen your own body. Erebus was the god of darkness and shadow, thus giving you general idea of this skill's potency."

Eva paused to make sure she had Mira's attention before continuing. "The spell has three stages, all with different effects and difficulty of execution. The initial stage, which I'll be teaching you shortly, simply involves draining the magic power of an already casted spell and using it to strengthen your physical capabilities. I'll demonstrate."

Eva holds out her hand and begins casting a spell. "Single arrow of darkness, gather to strike my enemy! Sagitta Magica!" As the dark arrow begins to form in her hand she makes a single-word chant.

"Stagnet". The arrow then, instead of firing, loses its pointed shape and morphs into a black sphere. It floats above her hand while Eva continues her explanation.

"The first form of Magia Erebea is a three-chant process. This first command, Stagnet, compresses the attack spell into a stable, absorbable form. On to the next step."

Eva extends her arm and performs another single-word chant.

"Complexio!" The sphere of dark energy is drawn downward into her hand and dissipates into her body.

"The second command, Complexio, draws the compressed magic into your body. Right now, the power of my magic arrow is in my body. The energy is not ready to be used yet though, and that's where the final step comes into play."

Eva takes a sort of tense stance before casting the final step.

"Supplementum, pro Armationem!" Eva chants as her body adopts a black glow. Her entire person loses color and becomes quite dark. Evangeline continues her explanation once more.

"The final chant, Supplementium, pro Armationem, performs the process of facilitating the magic throughout your body. It takes the absorbed magic and channels it through your body. I now have the power of darkness at my disposal."

Both Mira and Gildarts look at her display in awe. It was easily one of the most complex spells they had ever seen, and they could both sense the magic power radiating off of her. Eva drops the spell, returning her to her former color palate.

"While I'm at it, I might as well show you the second stage of Magia Erebea." Eva says.

Eva holds out her left arm before continuing. "Once you have utilized Magia Erebea enough, you begin to hold residual magic inside your body from past uses." Eva than chants a new spell.

"Actus Noctis Erebea" Eva's body immediately enters the Magia Erebea from she used before.

"This is a quick chant to give you a solid power boost without wasting the time of chanting three spells. This uses leftover magic from previous utilizations of Magia Erebea, so the period this stage lasts is far shorter, but it is useful in the aspect that it can be preformed on the fly." She explains.

Gildarts finally says something. "This spell is ridiculously complex. And you said there was still a third stage?" He says disbelievingly.

Eva chuckles. "The second stage isn't even over yet!" She yells before dropping Magia Erebea.

"The true way to utilize the second stage of Magia Erebea is by using the spell markings on your arms." She says while showing the two her forearms. She channels magical energy into them and her arm turns black while a white, swirling tattoo appears in the midst of it. She removes their visibility shortly afterwards.

"These markings will appear on your arms after your first use of Magia Erebea's initial stage. These remain unseen as long as you're not using magic. These are not just proof of your mastery of dark magic though. They serve a far greater purpose. You are allowed to store spells into the markings for later usage."

Eva casts eight arrows of darkness before performing the three-step activation key for the first stage. After drawing four spheres into each arm, she stops, not performing the facilitation process.

"This is the true second stage of Magia Erebea in the sense that the skill is permanently activated. Those eight arrows of light have been sealed into my arms for later use, very much similar to a delayed spell. While the process of prolonging the execution of a spell is nothing new, this process takes it to a whole new level. The general idea of a delayed spell is to cast a spell, maybe two while in battle, hold off its activation, and let the spells lose at a later time. They call this 'delayed', but in reality the hold-off period isn't very long. These magic arrows will stay sealed indefinitely, until I use them." Eva explains.

Gildarts and Mira are impressed to say the least.

"So essentially, the second stage of Magia Erebea is one in which you are constantly battle ready?" Mira inquires.

Eva nods. "This level of mastery over Magia Erebea allows the user to tap into vast magical reserves in almost no time flat. Make no mistake though, this is not the full extent of the second stage." She says.

Gildarts' eyes widen. "You're telling me there's more!" He exclaims.

Eva simply nods again. "There are many different ways to draw upon the sealed spells, and I sealed just enough spells to display all of them. Watch."

Eva points her right hand towards a small boulder. "Dextra Emittam!" One of the sealed arrows sprouts from her palm and destroys the rock. She holds out her left hand towards a different boulder.

"Sinistra Emittam!" She chants as another arrow flies out of her left palm this time.

"This is the most basic usage of the magic stored in the second stage of Magia Erebea. You simply release the spell in its uncompressed form, allowing it to do what it was initially designed to do, as if you casted the spell without and chant. A third chant can allow you to release from both of your hands."

Eva holds out both of her hands and chants the third incantation. "Duabus Emissae!". An arrow bursts from each hand before colliding with the hill side.

"We're now approaching the final effect of stage two." She says.

"I've demonstrated that you can release the spell to attack, but there is a second way to utilize the stored energy in your arm seals." Eva holds out her palm and chants.

"Dextra Emissa Stagnet!" Another magic arrow comes out of her hand, but this time in sphere form. She draws in the sphere with a quick chant of Complexio, as explained in the first stage. Having officially entered Magia Erebea, she once again adopts the dark appearance.

"This aspect of the second stage allows you to enter Magia Erebea's first stage much quicker than the usual method, while also not suffering from the drawbacks of Actus Noctis Erebea. It can be done with the left hand as well by chanting "Sinistra Emissa Stagnet". Due to the fact that it requires more effort to hold the energy in sphere form rather than simply firing it off, I don't advise releasing both spells in sphere form at the same time. Without downtime between each release, the control will be too difficult. You'll lose the energy. While there is not a way to produce each spell in Stagnet form at the same time, there is a method of absorbing both at the same time. The chant is "Duplex Complexio". This will allow you to absorb both spells at the same time. By absorbing two spells, the magic intake is higher, therefore increasing your physical capabilities even more. That is the second stage of Magia Erebea." Eva explains.

Gildarts and Mira are speechless. This spell was so ridiculously complex, yet so damn ingenious. It effectiveness was amazing, and the ingenuity behind its creation astounding.

"This spell is amazing. I've never seen anything like it, or even on its level for that matter." Gildarts says in awe.

"I agree. Its potential is endless, depending on which spells you take in. The possibilities are limitless." Mira says in an equal amount of awe.

"That brings us to the third and final stage of Magia Erebea." Eva says while dropping her Magia Erebea form.

"You may have noticed that the spells absorbed into Magia Erebea in the first two stages were simply low level dark spells. During early uses of Magia Erebea, you have to cast lower level spells in order to be able to keep the under control once putting them into Stagnet status. With higher levels of magic power, even early on you can control higher level spells, but you are not ready for the final, most dangerous stage of Magia Erebea." Eva explains.

Gildarts speaks up. "I thought that the whole idea of this Magia Erebea WAS to simply absorb the spells magic power into your body. What does the third stage do?" Gildarts asks.

"There is a second way to utilize the magic taken in through stage's one or two. With increased mastery over the beginner and intermediate stages of the spell, you can finally enter the advanced stage." Eva adopts an extremely serious and dark look.

"I'm about to show you myself at full power. Nothing held back." She states darkly.

Both Mira and Gildarts gulp nervously, but deep down they are eager to see one of the worlds most powerful mages at their peek of performance.

"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac! To Sumbolaion Diakonētō Moi, hē Krustallinē Basileia! Epigenēthētō, Taiōnion Erebos, Haiōnie Krustalle! Pasais Zōais ton Ison Thanaton, hos Ataraxia!" The long chant gathers a ridiculous amount of ice magic in a single place. Only Eva's massive magical reserves keep the spell in such a passive form.

"Kosmikē Katastrophē!" Eva screams as massive amounts of ice form around a point in midair. She quickly brings it under control.

"Stagnet!" The immense amount of magical energy from the spell compresses into its sphere form. She leaves it hovering over her hand though, far from done. She now holds out her left hand an starts another incantation.

"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac! To sumbolaion diakonêtô moi, basileu Ouraniônôn. Epigenêthêto, aithalous keraune os Titênas phtheirein! Êkatontakis kai kiliakis astrapsatô!" This chant channels an enormous amount of lighting energy into her hand. Bolts of lighting crackle uncontrollably around her arm. She finishes the chant.

"Kilipl Astrapê!" She yells as massive amounts of thunderbolts spread outwards. She moves to quickly control this spell as well.

"Stagnet!" This time the current spell compresses into a small yellow sphere bursting with as much energy as the previous spell. She crosses both of her arms.

"Duplex Complexio!" She bellows as she draws in each spell. Due to a blinding explosion of magical energy, Mira and Gildarts are forced to shield their eyes. Once the light winds down, they are treated to the final form of the Dark Evangel.

Eva's entire body is blue and shines like ice. The light from the sun bounces off her very body. Around her, an aura of blue lighting crackles uncontrollably around her.

"This is the third and final stage of Magia Erebea." She says.

Gildarts and Mira are brought to their knees by the sheer force of presence the skill exudes.

"In the first and second stages of Magia Erebea, you simply draw upon the raw magical power of the spell. This third stage requires you to absorb the magical on a more intimate scale, allowing you to take on the attributes of the spell. By casting my most powerful spells in both of my main affinities-Ice and Thunder-and then absorbing them through Duplex Complexio, I have shaped my body into the pure embodiment of the spells essence. I call this form "Frigus Incarnatio de Tonitrui". Eva explains.

"This form allows me to utilize my ice magic in the most effective way. Considering that ice is my main element, it overshadows the thunder magic during the facilitation process of Magia Erebea. The thunder augments my ice magic, allowing me to cast ice spells without incantations, and sending them out at the speed of lightning. My basic freezing spells now travel from one point to another in 1/10,000 of a second, far from avoidable. My physical body can also move at that speed. I'm also granted easier access to my most powerful spell in this form." Eva closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Slowly she reverts to her regular form. Little 'ol Eva.

"What you saw just now was TRUE mastery of Magia Erebea. Normally, once entering the third stage, you take on the attribute of one elemental spell. At the mastery stage, you can apply two layers of elemental magic through Duplex Complexio. The spells I combined were the top ones I know it each element: Cosmic Catastrophe and the Thousand Bolts." Eva says before pausing.

"You have both seen the full extent of Magia Erebea, the most powerful dark magic in existence. Good show?" She asks playfully.

"Good show? Good show! That was on a level I never thought possible! You could beat anything in that form! It was immensely powerful. You make me feel like a gnat…" Gildarts praises. Mira simply stares.

"You're going to try and teach me this spell?" She asks nervously.

"I am, but only the first stage. After that, you must adjust to the spell on your own and continue to increase your level of mastery in order to jump to the next stage. This is very possible for you." Eva says nicely.

"I can't believe it… Do you really think its possible?" Mira asks disbelievingly.

"I'm more than positive. In fact, I realized something the other day while watching you fight Fate. You have high affinity in water, wind, thunder, earth, and darkness. With so many elements at your disposal to absorb through Complexio, you have the potential to be the most powerful Magia Erebea user ever. You might be able to even perform a Triplex Complexio." Eva states.

Mira is speechless. She had the potential to surpass the Dark Evangel? It was unbelievable.

"I would like to take this opportunity to point out the drawbacks to Magia Erebea. It is far from a perfect spell, and has very detrimental effects." Eva explains.

"I would imagine so. Such power would never exist for free." Gildarts assumes.

Eva nods in agreement. "The core of your body, where magic power is gathered and stored, is essentially your very soul. When filtering magic through Supplementum, its dark nature damages your core. With each use it slowly taints your magical reserves, lessening them during the later stages of decay. You begin to feel physically weak, and even become sick on a regular basis. Slowly the decay travels to your mind, trying to invade your conscience and cloud your mind with dark thoughts. Soon afterwards you begin acting out violently until eventually the dark magic fully corrupts your body. Your soul shatters, leaving you an empty husk powered by dark energy alone. You adopt a grotesque appearance and live only to destroy. This entire process is known as "The Encroachment of Magia Erebea". It is an extremely dangerous side-effect of learning to utilize the full extent of dark magic." Eva explains.

"You expect me to go through that!" Mira shouts. She couldn't believe what the encroachment entailed. It was a terrible fate.

"Silence! I've used Magia Erebea for hundreds of years, and do I look like an ugly husk that simply destroys? Of course I've developed a countermeasure for this drawback!" Eva scolds.

"Me and you, both being naturally in tune with the forces of darkness even at a young age, has actually made our cores dark to begin with. The fact that there is nothing to corrupt slows the encroachment to a snails pace. What happens then is that it tries to fuse with our own dark magic and move to the brain to carry out the end of the encroachment. By using different elements during Supplementum, you constantly change the element you send through your core. By being in tune with the darkness, we both are very resistant to the encroachment. But be warned, using Magia Erebea too much over short periods will put you into the early stages of the encroachment. They wear off, but it's still not good. After all these demonstrations even I'm feeling a bit noxious."

"So I take it this means someone like me simply can't learn Magia Erebea?" Gildarts asks.

"Oh you can learn it just fine. The problem is whether or not you're ready to deal with the side-effects. Controlling the forces of darkness is no cakewalk. I CAN create a few runes to slow the effects, but for the most part, you'll end up dead in no more than three years." Eva explained bluntly.

"Haaaaaa… I figured as much. So are you guys starting now?" Gildarts asks.

"Not yet. I still haven't explained how to overcome the later stages of the encroachment. After your mind is taken over by darkness and you become a mere puppet of destruction, there is still a part of your soul that remains. Even with our higher resistance, in about five-to-seven years the encroachment will infect the brain. While the darkness controls you, your true self is sealed into a different dimension. While your body is rampaging, your conscience lays in a type of purgatory. There you will be given a trial. The trial is different for everybody, and cannot be explained. Completing this trial will force the dark energies back into your core, never to return. You essentially become less than human due to the magical power being constantly filtered through your body after you conquer it. This step will extend your lifespan at least thirty years. The magical energies will meld with your very being, slowing the decays of old age. Once you have effectively "conquered" Magia Erebea, you become a true demon."

"So essentially, if I'm confident enough to pass the trial of the encroachment, I very well could become as efficient in Magia Erebea as either of you?" Gildarts assumes.

"Technically yes, but I wouldn't recommend it. I'd assume the trial would be many times more difficult for you because you're not used to dark energies in your body. I'd like to start Mira's training now." Eva turns from Gildarts and looks at Mira.

Eva grins evilly. "You ready Mira?"

Mira grins right back. "You know it!"

**XxChapter EndxX**

**Well there you have it. Mira will be learning ****Magia Erebea****. I'd always had this in mind when throwing Eva into the guild, and I'm going to love beefing her up. **

**The complex explanation for ****Magia Erebea**** was by no means tiresome. It was extremely entertaining to explain the intricacies of such a complicated spell.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget: Read and review!**

**Xeno out. Peace. **

**XxSpell InfoxX**

Sagitta Magica-Magical Archery

Magia Erebea-Dark Magic

Stagnet-Fixate

Complexio-Seize

Supplementum, pro Armationem-Load Magic, Armament

Actus Noctis Erebea-Form of the Dark Night

Dextra Emittam-Right Arm Release

Sinistra Emittam-Left Arm Release

Duabus Emmisae-Both Arms Release

Dextra Emissa Stagnet-Right Arm Release and Fixate

Sinistra Emissa Stagnet-Left Arm Release and Fixate

Duplex Complexio-Both Arms Seize

Kosmikē Katastrophē-End of the World (Cosmic Catastrophe)

Kosmikē Katastrophē (Chant)-Heed the Contract and Serve Me, Queen of Ice! Come, Unending Darkness, Eternal Glacier! Bring Death to All That Has Life, Eternal Rest!

Kilipl Astrapê-Thousand Thunderbolts

Kilipl Astrapê (Chant)-Heed the contract and serve me, O Lord of the Heavens. Come forth, Titan-slaying blazing thunder. Hurl down lightning one hundred times and even one thousand times!

Frigus Incarnatio de Tonitrui-Embodiment of Cold Thunder


	7. Phantasmagoria

"HAHAHAHA!" A voice laughs uncontrollably. The person behind this voice is a tall man with lopsided, grey, spiky hair. He wore the exact same suit as Fate, and as chance would have it, that's who he was laughing at.

"LOOK AT YOUR SUIT! HAHAHAHAHA! YOU WALKED AROUND LIKE THAT FOR TWO DAYS! HAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed uncontrollably.

Fate, who had just gotten back from his encounter with Fairy Tail, gave this man a straight look. Fate wouldn't outright admit it, but he was getting a bit aggravated. "Secundum, please cease this nonsense." He states in his usual dead tone.

Wiping a tear from his eye, the man now revealed to be Secundum, responds. "I just didn't think that Anderson would give you that much trouble! You must be weaker than I thought!" He taunted.

Fate glared at him. "I came in to contact with three of Fairy Tail's stronger mages." He corrected.

Secundum was interested at this fact. "Really? Who were they?" He asked.

"The 'Demon' Mirajane, 'Iron Dragon' Gazille, and an identified ice mage." Fate informed.

"That does sound tough, but I could have handled it." A new voice claims. Both Fate and Secundum turn to see a boy roughly the same height as Fate, but with wildly spiked grey hair. His eyes were a bit wider spread then most and he carried a borderline maniacal look.

"Things are not always as they appear Quartum. The newcomer was S-Class as well. They worked together very well I might add." Fate says trying to defend his blunder.

Quartum frowns. "Your mission was to kill Anderson and leave before the mages showed up, and not only to you fail to meet that time restriction, you were beaten trying to clean up those mages. Pitiful." Quartum mocks.

Fate lets loose a small amount of killing intent. "I was defeated by no one. My low magic power coupled with my unexpected injuries required retreat. I would have won outright, but the newcomer…" Fate explains before stopping.

Secundum looks at Fate questioningly. "What about the newcomer? Who was this ice mage?" He asks.

"It was a young girl. She was a decently skilled ice mage with good battle smarts. That's not what bothers me though. I hit her with a petrification spell. I saw her arm turn to stone and proceeded through the fight as if it was one-on-two. I had an opportunity to take out the Demon when this girl attacked me. She stopped the petrification. She looked good as new." Fate explained.

Secundum and Quartum are both perplexed by this revelation. "I've seen firsthand how effective your petrification spells are Tertium. What do you think she did?" Secundum asked.

Quartum scoffed at the statement. "Maybe he fired a dud? Screwed up in the midst of battle?" He taunted.

Secundum, knowing better, felt obligated to stick up for Fate. "Being a generation ahead of Tertium here, you've never hit the war zone with him. Tertium doesn't screw up. Whatever happened is this new mage's fault, and I'd like to know what happened for future reference. Now that our involvement it known, it won't be long until they figure out who we are. We'll meet them again, and I'll want countermeasures to use. We already have enough problems with 'Ala Alba'. I can't believe the Thousand Master's boy would start up a guild. They even caught on to us quite quick. It's aggravating. And now somebody shows up in Fairy Tail with the ability to heal petrification? Like I said, it won't be long until they get some clue as to who we are." Secundum explains in an uncharacteristically serious manner.

It was a serious problem though. Fate held the key to taking out enemy mages by the dozen without killing them. It was faster than a one-by-one extermination campaign, and if they would ever end up on the opposite end of a council-formed army, the spells needed to work.

"Oh… About that… I gave them my name already." Fate said.

Quartum looked at him seriously. "Okay, maybe your defeat wasn't ALL your fault, but us being discovered quicker is. It's only a matter of time until someone recognizes the name 'Averruncus!'" He scolded.

"It matters not. Our lord will not be defeated either way." Secundum adds before continuing. "Still. This girl… What manner of being is she to nullify Tertium's magic?" He muses.

**XxIn Some Hut SomewherexX**

"Achoo!" Eva sneezes loudly.

"Don't sneeze like that in my house!" An older voice scolds.

"Shut it hag! I had to sneeze. What's your beef anyways?" Eva yells back.

"I don't like humans!" She responds.

"THEN WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU A DOCTOR!" Eva screams.

The old woman just stays silent. "Gildarts, what the hell do you want? Why is Mira unconscious and who is this rude girl?" She finally speaks up while gesturing to Mira, who lay unconscious on a bed.

Gildarts rubs the back of his head. "Sorry Porlyusica-san, it's complicated." He responds sheepishly.

"She's trying to learn a spell, and the process involves this magical coma. You see that scroll on her lap? Her mind's in it." Eva explains.

"That's impossible. What kind of magic can do this?" Porlyusica demands more than asks.

"It's an original spell I created. It's quite effective in battle, but the problem is that you have to have a certain dormant magic in your core. A 'key', so to speak." Eva explains.

Porlyusica is perplexed as to who this little girl actually is to create magic this complicated, but is much more interested in the actual spell. "How does this 'key' get placed in her magic core?" She finally asks nicely.

"The scroll is just one giant rune I wrote over the course of a few years. Each line of text is imbued with large amounts of my very own magic power. I've input snippets of energy from almost all of my spells, and added things like my own blood, hair, skin, and a few…More 'personal' effects." Eva explains.

"That's disgusting. Why would you put all those things into the runes?" Gildarts asks.

"It sounds to me like you're trying to make a carbon copy of yourself using magic." Porylusica guesses.

Eva grins. "You're quite perceptive."

"Well, it's the only probable reason for putting all of those things into a rune. The blood is for your DNA, the hair is for color, the skin is for pigmentation, and the 'personal effects' are for gender. After that, the vast amounts of magic energy you input will allow you to create a pseudo-personality. The magic power not only lets the copy use spells, but it makes it like you when it talks and acts." Porlyusica explains.

"The hardest part of the writing process was making a spell that activates once the scroll is opened. It immediately sends waves of magical energy into the reader's eyes, invading their mind shortly thereafter. It's programmed to do one thing: Get information about the individual on a level as in-depth as the amount I put in. After creating a carbon copy of the reader, it then sends their mind to a location drawn from their memories where they will meet my copy. The difference between them and me is that the reader retains complete control. My copy in the scroll acts of it's own will, and I have no idea what it does when interacting with Mira's copy." Eva pauses before continuing.

"I call the realm where the reader and pseudo-me meet 'Phantasmagoria'. I'd imagine Mira's getting emotionally abused by my copy in the center of Magnolia Town right about now." Eva finishes.

Gildarts finally makes some input. "So right now Mira's getting taunted by an exact copy of your personality? Why?"

Eva sighs. "Right now she's probably being goaded into combat. If my copy can't pinch a nerve after awhile she'll just attack Mira outright. Mira's a pretty tame person, so I'm assuming that's what'll end up happening."

"Why do they have to fight?" Porlyusica asks.

"The spell she's trying to learn is a combat spell. She'll engage in endless combat until she can grasp the basic idea of the technique. She won't be able to leave until she defeats my copy. As you'd assume, there's no way in hell she can do that. The copy is designed to be vulnerable to Magia Erebea specifically. Untill Mira can effectively use that spell she'll never beat my copy. My copy will send her hints every now and then, but for the most part she'll just tear her to shreds." Eva responds.

"I assume that when Mira takes enough damage to warrant death she'll be ejected from the scroll?" Gildarts inquires.

"Nope. She'll black out for about ten seconds before being revived and attacked again. Her actual body isn't in the scroll, so death isn't possible. My copy will hold back to a certain extent, but she'll still fight at a level far above Mira's own." Exe explains.

"What happens if Mira cannot cast the spell after a long amount of time?" Porlyusica wonders out loud.

"She'll probably just die." Eva says bluntly.

"You mean there's a chance of death with thing and you didn't tell her!" Gildarts yells.

"Every time she dies in Phantasmagoria, her real body here will take physical damage. Slowly, as time drags on, one of two things can happen. She'll either die of her wounds in the real world, or her mind will shatter from the pressure of being tormented in Phantasmagoria. If she's lucky, she'll wake up, but her magic reserves will be permanently zero. She won't be able to use magic ever again." Eva explains.

"And you trust Mira to learn your spell before any of these things can happen?" Porlyusica asks.

"I do. She's a strong girl with a big heart. She has the mental fortitude to go through with this. But… On the off chance things don't go that well I brought this." Eva says while revealing a short black dagger and tossing it at Porlyusica.

"You, as the doctor, will keep a tab on Mira's vitals. Once her physical body looks like it can't take anymore, stab the scroll with that dagger. It will force her mind from Phantasmagoria, saving her life. Downside is, she won't ever be able to reenter Phantasmagoria ever again. Magia Erebea will be out of her reach forever."

"I'll keep that in mind. Knowing that her life can be spared puts me at ease. I will keep an eye on her and make sure she lives through this." Porlyusica says before pausing.

"But, who exactly ARE you girl? You have created this ridiculously complicated spell and speak as though your combat level is many stages above Mira's. Add to that the fact that you look no older than a ten year-old girl, none of this seems right. You're a bit of a bitch as well." Porlyusica asks.

Eva scoffs at the medic. "You're not exactly the most pleasant person around are you?"

Porlyusica shrugs her shoulders. "I told you, I don't like humans. No exceptions." She says calmly.

"Do non-humans count as an exception?" Gildarts says jokingly.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Porlyusica demands.

"I am Evangeline A.K. McDowell. You will show me respect!" Eva says in an authoritive manner.

"The dark mage of legend? You? As if." Porlyusica mocks.

Eva lets out a staggering amount of killing intent as well as silently activating Actus Noctis Erebea. As Eva enters 'intimidation mode', Porlyusica looks on in pure surprise. Boy was she wrong.

"I AM the Dark Evangel, and mark my words I am no mere human. By pure whim I've dealt with your unmanageable personality, and I finally getting tired of it. Shut up and make sure Mira doesn't die. That's your job." Eva commands before dropping Magia Erebea.

Porlyusica drops her shock before scoffing and shutting up.

"You're not that subtle are you Kitty?" Gildarts says with a smile.

"I thought I told you to never call me that." Eva says.

"I know you did. It's just always nice to know I can get on one of the most powerful beings in existence's nerves. You let Gazille call you princess." Gildarts reasons.

"That's different and you know it. I poke fun at him in return. You, on the other hand I leave alone. I advise you to do the same." Eva scolds.

***HACK!***

Just then Mira coughs up a moderate amount of blood. Before falling limp once more. Eva eyes her carefully.

"It has begun…"

**XxBreakxX**

Mira runs for her life through a perfect replica of Magnolia Town. It's dark out, and the town is absolutely empty. Not a soul wanders the streets of the usually bustling market strip. Only the occasional street lamp, accompanied by the moon, light this abandoned plane. Mira runs quickly, but has a tight grasp on her lower right abdomen.

"_Two… No, three ribs… This isn't good."_

"**Running is pointless you know. Besides, most people fight back during the initial test. You're too tame for your own good."** A semi-distorted voice taunts.

Mira looks around her in all directions. She can't for the life of her see the source of this taunting voice. Just then, a hand bursts forth from her middle abdomen, fingers extended, and covered in blood. As Mira coughs up a small amount of blood, she turns around to see who stabbed her. A flock of bats all fly in close proximity while the hand that stabbed her emerges from the mess of bats. Slowly, the bats meld together, forming the rest of the culprit's body rather than just the arm. The figure is revealed to be Eva, in a black gothic-style dress.

She violently retracts her hand from Mira's body and speak up. "You know, the last boy who went through this trail fought for his life right at the start. What do I have to do to motivated you?" Eva asks.

Mira, still doubled over from the pain, looks up at Eva weakly. "I tried the minute you first attacked me. I can't activate Satan Soul for some reason. I CAN'T fight back…" She reveals.

Eva laughs. "Of course you can't. Take-Over magic holds a very similar relationship to Magia Erebea. Whoever invented it had what I had in mind, but could not create a spell as effective as my own. This world is filled to the brim with magic power our bodies unconsciously draw in. You will never run out of magic, and even now the wound I gave you is healing. This realm is designed to help you grasp the concept of Magia Erebea. Spells like your Satan Soul interfere with the spell's basic components. You are not able to access that form here." Eva explains.

"Then how am I supposed to fight back!" Mira asks.

"Satan Soul, like all Take-Over magic is designed to simply boost your already learned magical skills. By taking on the body of a demon, you are allowed easier access to your dark spells. Since this world is inhabited by an abundance of magic power, you do not required the assistance of Satan Soul to use your spells. You should be able to just use them." Eva informs.

Mira puts her left knee forward and draws her right hand back. Her entire forearm becomes incased in fire. Slowly, the fire starts to spin around her arm, and eventually it begins to resemble a red tornado.

As she heaves her arm forward she yells. "Evil Inferno!"

The tornado of fire leaves her arm and is sent straight at Eva. Eva hit's the floor and sends an arrow of ice at Mira as the fire harmlessly passes over her head. Mira simply bats her hand at the arrow, dissolving it, but in the short lack of attention it took to do so, Eva had disappeared from sight. Looking around, Mira can't see Eva, and this time she kept her eye out for bats. This left only one place Eva could possibly be. Mira brings her arm up and smashes it into the ground.

"Evil Fissure!" As the ground opens up Eva is forced out. As Mira had expected, she was hiding underground.

Mira smirks at her opponent. "I believe you called that spell Umbra Ambula?" She asks rhetorically.

"So it appears my low-level spells are not going to harm OR fool you huh? Well then, that's just fine by me. Perhaps it WOULD be best to step it up to the next level, seeing as though you have access to your magic power now." Eva tells Mira before lunging forward.

Eva throws a right hook which is promptly caught by Mira. Mira begins twisting the arm when Eva brings her left hand to hit Mira in the gut. Mira brings up her right knee to block the hit before going through with the right hand twist she had going. As Eva's body is overturned she throws a left-legged kick while in midair. Mira blocks it with her free arm before slamming Eva to the ground. Mira moves to quickly bring her knee down of Eva's throat, but she fades into the ground via her Umbra Ambula. Mira, still in the "think fast" mentality, moves to follow Eva through the portal, but it's cut off quickly. As Mira's knee collides with nothing, she looks to her left and sees Eva.

Eva has a bit of a sweat going. As Mira stands up she addresses her. "That was… Surprising. I didn't expect you to fight that well in close combat." Eva admits.

"Unlike my younger sister, Elfman and I retain a semi-humanoid form even in full Take-Over. Because of that, most physical confrontations would benefit from good old-fashioned martial arts. My style was created when I was in my early teens, a time where I was a bit more hostile. It's a berserker style that puts you down and makes sure you stay there. It's visciousness is what contributed to my title as the 'Demon'. The fact that you can meld into the ground nullifies most of my holds though, so that's a downer. I'm pretty sure I figured out a way around it though." Mira explains.

"I suppose I underestimated you once again Mira. Let's make SURE the training wheels are off this time, shall we?" Eva taunts before moving at Mira again.

As Eva flies forward, similar to last time, Mira brings up her guard. However, Eva unexpectedly punches the ground below Mira rather than attacking her torso. Eva freezes the ground before rising up to attack Mira. Eva had noticed during their last little scuffle that Mira uses ALL of her limbs frequently during both offence AND defense. While Eva did not have enough time to cast a more significant ice spell, this short-term immobilizer would have to do.

Eva throws a left punch at Mira, who blocks it much differently than Eva had expected. Using her right hand, Mira caught the punch by grabbing Eva's wrist. Eva brought up her left knee, forcing Mira to block it with her left hand. Now that her chest area was open, and both arms were occupied, Eva makes her move. Extending her fingers, Eva moves to stab Mira in the chest. Much to Eva's surprise, it didn't go that way. Mira pulled her right arm, which was still holding Eva's left, towards the stabbing hand. By adjusting her grip on Eva's left hand, she was able to wrap both in her grasp. Normally this would be impossible, but Mira's body was that of a grown woman's, while Eva's was that of a young girl. Eva's wrists were small enough for Mira to hold them in one hand. Mira pulls Eva towards her and head buts her viciously. As Eva reels backwards, Mira takes the opportunity to shatter the ice around her ankles and dive towards Eva. Mira grabs Eva by the shoulder before kneeing her in the gut and tossing her over her own shoulder and slamming her into the ground. Mira pulls up her right arm and charges it with electric energy. As Mira prepares to bring down her fist, Eva attempts to slip into the shadows as she did before, but realizes something wrong. Mira never let go of her arm after throwing her. She can't shadow walk without taking Mira with her. Realizing that there's no other way out, Eva chants a spell for a quick escape.

"Nivis Casus!" As snow and ice burst from the ground below them, Mira is forced to jump back and retreat. Eva gets back up on stares down Mira. She chuckles lowly before breaking out into a full blown laughing fit.

"Splendid! Just splendid! You're actually more efficient at hand-to-hand combat than I am! Of course, with the help of Magia Erebea I could change that fact, but we're her for you to use that, not me." Eva praises.

Mira attempts to retort, but is cut off by a sharp pain to her throat. Eva had just slit it with Ensis Exsequens while she was distracted by praise. As Mira hit's the ground Eva hovers over her.

"How does it feel? Cold? I can see the wound is already cauterized. It's probably hard to breath too. This sword can't kill unless it's a stab you know. It always staunches the bleeding because of the way it draws in all heat around it. Add to that the fact that the space around the wound freezes as well, you must be feeling pretty horrible right now." Eva explains.

Mira lights one of her hands on fire before holding it to her throat, stopping just before the ice IN the wound melted. She wanted to be able to breathe, but not end up bleeding out. As she stood up she swung her still-flaming hand at Eva, who simply dodged it before kicking her in the gut. Eva follows up by shooting an arrow of ice at her forehead, sending her reeling backwards. Before Mira can right her posture, Eva dives in and stabs her through the heart.

"You're lucky you know. The last person I brought through here had died countless times by now. This is only your second death. But rest assured, more are to come…" Eva says darkly.

**XxBreakxX**

"Good lord this is awful. She's been like this for over twenty-four hours now. When does this stop?" Porlyusica asks while treating some of Mira's lacerations.

"As of right now, I'd imagine Mira's been fighting for over ten days. Time flows much differently in Phantasmagoria than it does in this world. I'm surprised though. It's only been one day, yet she's healthy enough to last at least two more. She's fighting quite hard I'd assume. Still, one's mind can only take so much." Eva explains.

"But you said she's doing well, right? She needs to snap out of this quickly. Elfman and Lisanna are asking too many questions, and I even had to have Gray form a cover of us going on a quest. We had to forge the damn papers! Mira needs to get up!" Gildarts complains.

"Only time can tell old man…"

**XxBreakxX**

"*huff*, *huff*, *huff*."

Mira takes a corner before sitting down and nursing her left arm, which currently isn't there.

"Damn it! I should have just let her finish me and the arm would've repaired itself! Now I've got to deal with this pain. I'm tired… I'm getting weaker… And I still don't understand how this stupid spell works!" Mira complains.

"Is that the extent of your resolve? A firm resolve alone cannot solve all problems, but it lays the foundation for progress. If you give up like this what does that say? Are you really that weak? What about your family? If you give up now, I still won't stop. Your mind will shatter eventually and your real body will die. Is that what you want?" Eva taunts.

"You mean…"

"Of course! You didn't think that if you screwed up you'd just get a 'retry' later did you? No! It's now or never woman, and if this is all you've got I'm sorely disappointed." Eva says.

Mira dives at Eva before firing electricity with her only hand. Eva simply shifts to the side to dodge it before sending out ice arrows of her own. As the two exchange massive volleys of magic energy Eva jumps into the air.

"Malleus Aquilonis!" She yells before forming a large block of ice above her head.

Mira looks up and prepares an Evil Wind wall in preparation for the coming assault. With one arm though, the wall forms far too slowly. Eva had already attacked and crushed Mira beneath the mass of ice. Eva slowly removes the crushing force to reveal a dead Mira, whose body is slowly regenerating.

"I figured you'd want your arm back." Eva says jokingly.

Mira is awake again, but doesn't get back up. She simply stares at the sky.

"_Is this all I am? Destined to be protected and never be able to protect myself?" _She thinks to herself.

"_Mira-nee!"_

"_Nee-chan!"_

Thoughts of Lisanna's "death" and Elfman's rescue during the Phantom Lord assault flash through her mind. She couldn't protect Lisanna, and Elfman had to attempt a full body take over and risk losing his mind just to save her. Even during the S-Class exam she couldn't defeat her opponent, and was forced to take the explosion for her little sister. Mira was feeling weak. She was scared for the future.

Mira then comes to a realization.

"_A soldier who knows no fear is only a hindrance on the battlefield." _Eva's words to Natsu echo.

"_Is that the extent of your resolve?"_

"_What about your family?"_

Mira stands up and looks straight at Eva, surprising her. She draws her arms back in a Kamehameha like fashion.

"Soul Extinction" She says calmly before a mass of black energy swirls in her hands.

"Hahaha! You've already tried this trick before! What do you think will change?" Eva mocks.

"I've come to the realization that you are not real. You know things about me that Katherine-chan does not. You are a manifestation of my view of the Dark Evangel. You were spawned from a mixture of Eva's magic and my memories. I was never supposed to defeat you, was I?"

Eva chuckles but stays otherwise silent.

"Pain, grief, fear, all negative emotions we all try to stifle. But they are not bad. When you have a strong resolve, you can turn sadness into strength." Mira explains before holding out Soul Extinction in one hand.

"Stagnet!" She yells before the orb of energy morphs into a small black sphere.

"Fighting you was a trial to learn the extent of my weakness, and now that I have realized, I take the principle to heart." Mira continues.

"Complexio!" She chants before drawing in the sphere.

"Supplementum, Pro Armationem." She finishes while slowly becoming covered in black energy. Her color-palate inverts, turning her hair black and her dress white. She has officially entered Magia Erebea.

Eva stares at Mira wide-eyed before adopting an amused look.

"Magnificent."

(Cue initial riff (1:35) from Dream Theater song "Bridges in the Sky")

Mira stood firm in the face of her opponent, one who had been demolishing her for over a week now. She felt like could win. She had performed Magia Erebea after learning to concept of "taking things in" through an emotional metaphor. She had entered the first stage of Eva's coveted dark spell, and was ready to take on the creator herself. This was no longer about learning some spell to Mira, it was about proving that she was an independent, strong woman.

Mira had been feeding off the kindness of others for far too long, and now was her opportunity to show that she was no helpless girl. It was time to end this friendly excursion to Phantasmagoria. She certainly didn't look helpless though. Her body's color palate was inverted, and she appeared quite menacing. Mira dove towards Eva. The finale had begun.

Eva brought up her arms in a defensive posture. "Gelida Bibendum!"

A thick wall of ice rose from the ground between Eva and Mira. Eva smirked as she began to prepare a new spell. This was far from a situation worth smiling over for Eva. After hearing a loud bang, she rose her head to see a multitude of cracks in her makeshift ice barrier. Shortly after, Mira burst through and punched Eva straight in the face with enough force to create a shockwave upon impact.

As Eva flew back, blood streaming from her nose, she readjusted herself and leveled a glare at Mira. She was smiling. Eva was more excited than she had been in a LONG time. She was having the time of her life. This feeling, this… pain… was something she didn't even know she missed, but now it was clear.

She did.

"Hahahaha! This is great! This is what I've been waiting for! I haven't felt like this in decades! More! I need more!" Eva shouted maniacally.

Unluckily for our eccentric blonde vampire, Mira was more than happy to oblige her. As Mira closed in, Eva prepared herself. She was ready.

"Duo Frigus Pugnus!" She shouted as both of her forearms became incased in gauntlets of ice.

As the two combatants met, they struck each other in the face with great power. Righting their postures quickly, the dove right back at each other and began exchanging a brutal display of violence. It was fierce, and when you looked at it and thought about it, it was nothing more than a brawl. I knock-down drag-out fistfight between two powerful mages.

Eva grunted as one of Mira's magically enhanced feet collided with her sternum. Deciding to capitalize on the situation, she grabbed her ankle and twisted it before moving one of her own legs forwards to trip Mira's only grounded foot. As she succeeded, Mira hit the ground with a loud thud and a small grunt of pain. Normally, that would have been lights out for Mira, seeing as though she hit the back of her head, and Eva's physical strength was nothing to scoff at. Magia Erebea had increased her physical fortitude by almost ten fold. Mira was back up in an instant, kicking Eva in the side of the head, sending her a considerable distance.

With an intimidating battle cry, Mira followed up by sprinting at her and catching her in midair by the back of her head. Mira slammed her face-first into the ground, causing it to crack from the intensity of it all. Mira lifted up her foot and promptly brought it down to curb-stomp Eva. This time, the force behind to blow caused the cracks in the ground to spread further. The strength was so great the cracks extended at least twenty feet, if not more. It was truly a devastating hit. Mira withdrew her foot from Eva's skull and looked at her downed form. She lay limp, unmoving. Mira had assumed her unconscious. She was wrong.

After a few seconds of silence, Eva sprung upwards in a twisting motion, her Ensis Exsequens fully extended. Mira caught the blade barehanded, but it was scorching hot, burning the flesh straight off her hands, even with Magia Erebea's protective aura still in full effect. It certainly was helping though, for without it Eva's blade would have gone straight through her palm like butter.

Eva, covered in blood, scrapes, and gashes, pushes forward, attempting to do just that; cut through it like butter. Mira released her grip on the sword and then quickly followed up by readjusting her grip, this time around Eva's wrist, taking care as to not touch her Ensis Exsequens again. Her hand was in horrible pain, but Mira knew she had to endure. Reeling Eva in by her wrist, she smashed her head into Eva's with great force, repeating the tactic she used earlier when her feet were frozen to the ground.

Eva backpedaled for a few yards before pausing to lick the blood streaming down her face, straight out of a gash Mira just opened on her forehead. In one quick motion, Eva swung her hand at Mira, releasing a massive arrow of ice, much bigger than the ones she usually sent at Mira. Mira heaved forward and smashed her fist into the arrow, shattering it. That was the wrong thing to do. The shards from the now broken arrow gathered around Mira's body, covering her in frost. While not damaging, Mira's movements became temporarily sluggish. Hearing Eva's voice, she bats her head upwards to see Eva floating above her, chanting.

"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac! Kenotētos Astrapsatō de Temetō!" Large amounts of lightning gathering in her palm before shaping into what looked like a giant axe.

"Dios Tukos!" She finished as she brought down the axe of crackling sparks.

Being slowed down by the ice trap, Eva's combo made dodging her follow up pretty damn close to impossible. Barely getting them up in time, Mira crossed her arms above her head and braced for what she assumed would be a painful impact with the axe. Eva didn't disappoint. After cutting through her arms deep enough to hit bone, the axe dispersed in a flash of energy around Mira, electrocuting her while Eva harmlessly touched down to the ground in front of her. Arms near useless, Mira could do nothing to block Eva's subsequent punch to the face, gauntlets of ice still equipped. As blood flew, Mira flung her body back towards Eva, using the momentum to slam her limp arms into her face.

Both combatants paused and observed each other's bloodied forms. Magia Erebea, coupled with the high magic power in Phantasmagoria, began repairing the flesh on Mira's forearms.

Back to basics, Mira and Eva both reengaged, simply beating the crap out of each other with pure physical strength. As Eva reared back for a risky haymaker, Mira capitalized on the opening by kicking up her speed to disappear and reappear behind Eva before grabbing her torso by the sides. Mira slowly lifts Eva up over her head before turning her upside-down. With a loud scream, Mira brought Eva back down, neck first, into the ground. The subsequent shattering of earth below them made the curb stomp from earlier look like a friendly love tap.

Eva wasn't getting up from this. Her body slowly began to fade away. Mira immediately dropped Magia Erebea and just stood there, basking in the glory of victory. She soon after fell to the ground face first, fast asleep.

**XxBreakxX**

Mira stirred in the bed she was currently resting in at Porlyusica's hut. As the house's occupants turned their attention to her, her eyes opened and she jerked herself upright. After observing her surroundings she's addressed by a familiar voice.

"That was record time Mira. How does it feel?" Eva's voice asks.

Mira looks at her, noticing both Gildarts and Porlyusica beside her, prompting her to realize exactly where she was. She held up her forearms and proudly presented the spell markings that signified her ability to control dark forces on a new level.

Gildarts just grinned at her widely. "You did good Mira! Now lets get you washed up and back to the guild. Lisanna's been feeling horrible about having to tend to the bar all by her lonesome." He says comfortingly.

Mira grins back. She was no longer weak. It was her turn to protect the guild that had given her so much. It was her turn to let her family know that she wasn't a burden. She was an S-Class mage, and darkness was now her bitch.

**XxAt a Harbor in ParameciaxX**

"Good lord it took long enough to find this place…" Rodelle says exasperatingly.

He looks towards a certain, quite large boat, where a burly black man with long blonde hair is tying the not to keep the boat attached to the harbor.

Rodelle addresses the man. "Are you shipmaster Jack Rakan?" He asks the man.

Said man stands up and turns around to look at Rodelle.

"Who's askin'?"

**XxChapter EndxX**

**Well, that concludes the "Mira ****Magia Erebea****" arc. Each part of the Phantasmagoria section of the arc are much shorter than my usual chapters, but are generally meant to count as one. I just might edit it to turn out that way. (I have since done so! If you see only chapter 7, do not be alarmed! This is as intended and allows a more seamless read of this part of my story.)**

**This chapter was the shortest, but it was just a straight up brawl. They barely exchanged ANY words. It was a knock-down, drag-out physical beat down between the two, and thus the chapter took up less space.**

**And yes, Mira totally finished the fight with a Liger Bomb. You CAN'T tell me that's not BA!**

**Xeno out. Peace.**

**XxSpell InfoxX**

**Magia Erebea****: **"Dark Magic" - A spell that Eva developed during the Dark Ages to greatly enhance her physical structure by absorbing certain spells into her own body. At later, more advanced stages, the user's body can even take on the elemental properties of the absorbed spell.

**Actus Noctis Erebea****: **"Form of the Dark Night" - By utilizing residual magic left over from multiple uses of Magia Erebea, the user can immediately enter Magia Erebea without chanting or absorbing any spells. Due to the lesser amount of magic power spent to maintain this form, it doesn't last nearly as long as the conventional way.

**Satan Soul****: **An original spell of Mira's that allows her to access the limbs and properties of demons she's slain in the past. Growing wings, scales, and a tail, Mira capitalizes on the high magic power of these creatures inside her to cast various high-level elemental spells.

**Evil Inferno****: **A mid-high level fire spell that involves heavily rotating fire magic around a certain point, causing it to gain size, then sending it at the enemy.

**Evil Fissure****: **A high-level spell that mixes pure physical strength with earth magic. The user smashes his/her fist into the ground and literally split's the earth. If the enemy manages to get caught in the fissure, it can be forcibly closed by the user to crush the enemy inside.

**Umbra Ambula****: **"Shadow Walk" - A high-level teleportation spell that uses shadows as a medium.

**Nivis Casus****: **"Falling Snow" - A highly lethal attack spell which instantaneously creates and launches a large-volume onslaught of snow and ice at the target, causing blunt trauma, frostbite, and at close range, hypothermia – assuming you're not frozen outright or swept away.

**Ensis Exsequens****: **"Executioner's Blade" - A blade of pure magical energy that extends from the user's forearm. It's effects vary, generally adapting to the user's elemental affinity. In Eva's case (Ice), the sword constantly sucks in the heat around the blade, causing the immediate area around it to be extremely cold. Even if a swing misses, the blade will end up leaving the areas in got close to encased in ice. Having sucked in massive amounts of heat, the blade itself is immeasurably hot, allowing an actual direct slice to cut through almost anything, while still freezing the space around the cut.

**Malleus Aquilonis****: **"Hammer of the Ice God" - An attack spell which crushes the target with a giant mass of ice. The creation and manipulation of ice being the cornerstone of cold-based magic, this is an extremely simple spell, its only real advantage being the massive force it can bring down on the target.

**Evil Wind****: **A mid-level defensive spell that involves forming a swirling wall of wind in front of the user, repelling or diverting enemy attacks.

**Soul Extinction****: **A powerful dark spell that is made of a large concentration of the user's magic power. By holding the power at a single point, the energy builds before being allowed to strike the enemy with vicious force.

**Stagnet****: **"Fixate" - A spell used to compress almost any spell into a smaller, sphere-shaped form, a step necessary in order to begin Magia Erebea.

**Complexio****: **"Seize" - A spell that draws in any spell in Stagnet form into the body, bringing the user closer to utilizing Magia Erebea.

**Supplementum, pro Armationem****: **"Load Spell: Armament" - The final step in the initial process of Magia Erebea where the user facilitates the magical energy taken in through Complexio, allowing them to enter Magia Erebea.

**Gelida Bibendum****: **"Frozen Barrier" - An intermediate defensive ice spell that involves drawing moisture from the underground to create a quick defensive wall of ice.

**Duo Frigus Pugnus****: **"Dual Frozen Fists" - An intermediate offensive ice spell that freezes the user's forearms in gauntlets of ice, allowing them to hit much harder. It is common practice to let a battle rage on so that the user can freeze their own sweat rather than create new ice, lessening the amount of magic power required to cast the spell.

**Lic Lac La Lac Lilac****: **Eva's spell key, which must be chanted before any other chanted spell.

**Dios Tukos****: **"Axe of the Thunder God" - A medium-range but powerful Lightning-element attack that is invoked in Ancient Greek, as opposed to Latin, which most of Eva's spells are in (save Cosmic Catastrophe). The caster makes a downward-sweeping motion and hits the target with a massive electrical attack.

**Dios Tukos (Chant)****: **Come forth from the void, O Thunder, and cut down my enemy!


	8. Mira vs Erza

"Oh, forgive me. Where are my manners? Captain of the Council of Paramecia's Internal Security Division, at your service. You may call me Rodelle." He explains.

"_Internal Security? Shit." _

"As I was asking, are you indeed Jack Rakan?" Rodelle asks again.

"Do I owe you money?" Rakan asks.

Rodelle gives him a weird look. "No, I don't believe so." He responds.

"Then Jack Rakan I am." He says while taking a bow.

Rodelle smiles lightly before getting to the point. "Nice to meet you. Now, you may be wondering why I am here, and the answer is quite simple. You see, I've been tracking a rather dangerous individual, and use a type of magic that follows her by scent."

Rodelle's look turns serious. "And you, good sir, are covered in it."

"Izzat so? And what're you gonna' do about it?" Rakan replies tauntingly.

"Now, now, don't get feisty." Rodelle says while gesturing for Rakan to ease up.

"I merely intend to ask where she is, not engage in any sort of confrontation."

Rakan grins widely. "Well, you see, therein lies our problem. I have no intentions of telling you anything of the sort. So you either have that 'confrontation' you've been trying to avoid or get the hell out of my sight. Choose quickly, I have a job to do."

"I advise against that heavily Rakan-san. I have the authority of the council on my side, and will have my way regardless. It is I who implore you to take the easy way out." Rodelle says calmly.

"Hey kid. How old are you?" Rakan asks.

"Twenty-three…"

"You well versed in Fiorian history?"

"Can't say that I am…"

Rakan's grin grows wider.

"Okay, lets have that fight then." He says tauntingly.

"Oh dear, you are an insufferable sort of man, aren't you?" Rodelle says exasperatingly.

"So I've been told…" Rakan replies.

After a short pause, Rakan blinks. As he opens his eyes, Rodelle is no longer in front of him.

"The hell…"

***THUD***

Rakan feels a light pressure on his mid-back and turns around. Rodelle was in a post-haymaker position. He looks up at Rakan, surprised.

"That tickles."

Rodelle jumps backwards and looks at his still clenched fist.

"_What the hell… Is he made of iron or something? That hurt…"_

"I am curious though. How the hell did you move that fast?" Rakan asks.

"I wonder…" Rodelle responds.

Rodelle digs his finger into the air and drags it, creating a hole, and then promptly steps inside. The portal closes off with Rodelle nowhere to be seen.

"Teleportation magic eh?" Rakan inquires unenthusiastically.

"_And he did it that slow on purpose. He could jump into those portals wicked fast if he wanted to." _

"But!" Rakan yells as he feels a kick to his abdomen. He grabs Rodelle's leg, which had just appeared in front of him.

"You ain't got what it takes to put me away. I can't keep up with you. So what? I'll just wait 'till you show yourself and then make a move." Rakan explains before violently breaking Rodelle's leg with a sharp twist.

"AGH!" Rodelle hops backs wards a few yards before pointing a finger at Rakan. A black laser fires at Rakan, who dodges it easily. Behind him, the beam collides with nothing, but spreads into a portal. Rodelle turns around and fires an arrow of light through a portal behind him, which comes out the one behind Rakan, striking him in the back.

The explosion was massive, and the technical aspects of how it reached Rakan were impressive, but alas, this was Jack Rakan. As the smoke clears, Rakan is revealed to be unharmed, but unfortunately, his vest does not share his endurance, as it is torn in the back.

"Rodelle was it? You're good, S-Class at least, but you picked a fight with the wrong guy today." Rakan says while cracking his knuckles. Things were about to heat up.

**XxBreakxX**

Eva, Gildarts, and Mira all approach the guild. It had been three days since they were last here, two for the Magia Erebea training and one for Mira to recover. They were finally back, and Mira was finally ready for business as an S-Class mage.

"Remember the cover story Mira. We were on a quest, and if the Ji-san sees through it, tell her you were whipping back into shape and didn't want anybody to know. If he asks for a demonstration, you invented the spell with a few pointers from me. We clear?" Eva instructs.

"We got it Kitty." Gildarts responds.

"I wasn't talking to you old man." Eva replies coldly.

"Now, now, no fighting. I know what to say and do, so just calm down. We're home, and it's time to show people what we can do. We're a team, right?" Mira asks.

"Well, at first I wasn't so keen about the idea, but if we can get Gazille in, I'm in. Gray wouldn't hurt either." Gildarts says.

Eva waves the comment off. "Oh please. The lug-head will join no problem, and with a few choice words (threats) Gray will too."

As the group finally enters the guild, as per usual the remaining Take Over siblings are the first in line for welcomes.

"You're finally back Mira-nee! It took along time… I really don't know how you handle dozens of drunks like this on a regular basis without complaining at all…" Lisanna says exasperatingly.

"Yeah, it's great that you're back Nee-chan. The guild really just isn't the same without you around." Elfman adds.

"The quest wasn't that difficult, it was just far away. We're back and that's all that matters." Mira says.

Erza steps forwards. "I was a bit surprised when I heard the people who went on this quest. This is quite the combo if I do say so myself."

"Actually, we were about to do something about that. Is Gazille here?" Gildarts asks.

As if on cue, a loud crunch can be heard from Gazille's corner of the guild. Everybody immediately looks in his direction, but he just continues eating the chunk of iron in his hands. After a few moments Gazille finally realizes the guild is too quiet. Fairy Tail is never quiet.

"Ahem…" Lily says from beside Gazille.

Gazille looks up and see the majority of the guild staring at him.

"The fuck you all lookin' at?"

The guild sweatdrops.

"_Is he really that dense?" _The guild ponders.

Gildarts breaks the silence. "I was just wondering if you wanted to form a team with Kitty, Mira, and I."

Gazille thinks it over for a grand total of 0.5 seconds. "Sure." He answers before going back to eating his iron, as if the conversation never happened.

"Well, that's that." Eva concludes. Just then, Makarov steps forward.

"So… How was the… 'quest'" He asks.

Mira nervously looks to the left while rubbing the back of her head.

"Ummm… It went fine!" She responds quickly.

"_Yeah… TOTALLY convincing." _Eva thinks to herself.

"Do you trust me so little Mirajane?" Makarov says sadly. "That quest form was in the handwriting of one Gray Fullbuster."

Over near the bar Gray fidgets heavily.

Mira caved easily. "Sorry, sorry! I just went on a bit of a training trip. I really don't like being useless, and it seemed a bit embarrassing to tell you guys…" She explains.

Makarov quickly perks up. "So then, how were the results?" He asks with a wide grin.

"They went great." Eva answers.

Mira makes a pumping motion with her left arm. "I'm prepped and ready for action!" She says in her usually jovial tone.

"An interesting statement. How about a match? We haven't sparred in years." Erza requests.

Looking at Eva for permission, Mira receives a nod. "Okay. Lets go out front." Mira says.

Nobody was going to miss this. Team Natsu and even Gazille were right behind them. As the two stand off, Eva whispers into Mira's ear.

"This is a demo, not a fight. The encroachment doesn't need to be advanced for the sake of a simple spar. Actus Noctis Erebea should do, and try to finish within five minutes." Eva instructs her new students. Mira nods and steps forward.

"Pretty nostalgic eh?" Erza says.

"Yeah, except this time we're not screaming at each other before the fact." Mira responds with a small laugh that Erza joins in on.

Makarov is the referee, just like he was in the Erza/Natsu fight months back. He raises his hand before bringing it down.

"You may begin."

"Actus Noctis Erebea" Mira says before gaining the usual Magia Erebea characteristics.

The guild stares in shock. Mira didn't perform a Take-Over, and none of them had even heard of this spell. Surprising them even further, Mira dives in for close-combat with Erza.

Quickly raising her sword, Erza blocks Mira's surprisingly fast punch with the flat end of it. In a burst of dark energy, Erza is sent backwards, her feet kicking up dirt as she tried to keep her ground. No sooner than Erza rights herself does she find Mira in her face once more. Deciding to duck her punch this time considering the blast of energy that would most likely follow the punch, Erza quickly sweeps her sword, which Mira simply jumps over. Mira extends her left leg and kicks Erza straight in the face, sending her tumbling to the ground. The spectators stand by in shock.

"That's Mira-san? What happened?" Lucy asks disbelievingly.

"Yeah, she's awesome! I mean, even more awesome than before!" Natsu exclaims.

Gildarts steps forward from behind them, slightly startling them.

"She's simply taken her dark magic to the next level. Mira discarded her minor magical affinities granted by Satan Soul and isolated the most prominent one, darkness." Gildarts explains.

Eva joins in. "This is the evolution of Take-Over magic. Instead of taking over a living being, she takes over a spell. This is the result of her absorbing the energies of her Soul Extinction spell."

Lisanna and Elfman observe in awe. Lisanna speaks up first. "Mira-nee's amazing…"

She's quickly snapped out of her musings by Erza's first.

"I see you've gotten much better. Dark magic, huh? Mind if I join in?" Erza asks jokingly.

Mira looks at her questioningly. Join in?

Erza then Ex-quips into a black armor with large wings.

"Dark Wing Armor"

Erza flies forward and cuts Mira across the shoulder. Turning around quickly, Mira grabs her by the ankle and reels her back in before slamming her into the ground. Erza turns her self around and towards her assailant before slashing her across her left cheek with the claws on her armor. Erza then brings her feet up into Mira's abdomen before launching her off of her. Erza immediately moves to follow up by taking off and heading towards Mira again. Mira brings her left hand back as it begins to glow with dark energy.

"Erza's telegraphing." Eva says.

Gray looks at her questioningly. "What do you mean?" He asks.

"She launched Mira too far away. With the speed she's flying she can't stop, and there's more than enough distance to cover for Mira to prepare a counter." Gildarts explains.

Erza wasn't that dumb though. She knew better. Just as her and Mira were about to meet, she performs a cross-shaped sword slash to meet Mira's punch.

"Black Wing: Moon's Glimpse!"

The cross of dark energy collides with Mira's dark magic punch, resulting in a huge explosion. Both Mira and Erza emerge from the resulting dust cloud, skidding across the ground for a decent distance before coming to a halt. They both look moderately scuffed up, but otherwise fine. The look at each other with a slight grin before deactivating their respective magics and ceasing the friendly spar.

"That was a great fight Mira. I have no doubt that you're ready for business again."

"Thanks Erza…" Mira says with a slight blush.

"That was awesome!" Natsu yells. "There was all kinds of dark magic, and explosions and everything!"

"I have to admit, it was a nice little scuffle." Gazille says.

"I'll go fix them up." Wendy says before trotting over to the two in question.

"Really though… That was amazing…" Lucy says.

"Indeed. That was quite something." An unknown voice says.

The group turns around to a man with long blue hair in a ponytail that he keeps draped over his left shoulder in a traditional white mage's cloak.

This man was Albireo Imma.

**XxChapter EndxX**

**Took me long enough lol. NBA lockout sucks dick. W/E. I'll deal… Somehow…**

**Xeno out. Peace.**

**XxSpell InfoxX**

**Actus Noctis Erebea****: **"Form of the Dark Night" - By utilizing residual magic left over from multiple uses of Magia Erebea, the user can immediately enter Magia Erebea without chanting or absorbing any spells. Due to the lesser amount of magic power spent to maintain this form, it doesn't last nearly as long as the conventional way.

**Magia Erebea****: **"Dark Magic" - A spell that Eva developed during the Dark Ages to greatly enhance her physical structure by absorbing certain spells into her own body. At later, more advanced stages, the user's body can even take on the elemental properties of the absorbed spell.

**Dark Wing Armor****: **One of Erza's less used armors. It grants the user speed, wings, and an increased resistance to dark magic.

**Dark Wing: Moon's Glimpse****: **Erza rushes past her target, slashing them in a cross pattern using dark energy.


	9. A Test of Strength

**XxParamecia HarborxX**

Rakan sat on a destroyed rock among the battlefield he and Rodelle had created. Rodelle was acting strangely though. He would randomly enter his portals for an extended period of time, a little over a minute, inbetween his normal combat warps. It puzzled Rakan, but he thought nothing of it. He figured that Rodelle was only taking breaks to think. Currently, Rodelle was in one of those very phases.

Rakan was brought out of his musings by an intense pain in his left arm. He looked over and took in the view of his right arm, which was bleeding profusely from the shoulder.

**XxFlashbackxX**

_Rakan and Rodelle were engaged in a high-speed fistfight, one that Rodelle was losing quite badly. Every hit he landed would do absolutely no damage while every hit Rakan landed would either bruise or outright break a bone. Suddenly, Rakan backpedaled a decent distance before grinning madly. Stepping forward, he strutted out his right elbow while swaying to the left, then strutted out his left elbow while swaying to the right. On his third step, he started glowing a strange mix of red and yellow before he rose his arms towards the sky, sticking his chest in Rodelle's direction._

"_Eternal Negi Fever!__" Rakan screamed dramatically as a beam in the outline of Rakan's figure was sent at Rodelle. Rather than cower in fear at this awe-inspiring attack of brilliance, Rodelle grinned! Dragging his finger across the air in front of his, he made a portal big enough to swallow Rakan's attack. Wide-eyed, Rakan coud only stare as a portal is opened to his right, sending his own attack right at him…_

**XxFlashback EndxX**

"_Damn bastard"._ He thought to himself before unfastening his belt and tying it around his shoulder to stem the blood flow. Just then, Rodelle appeared once again, looking pretty banged up. He did wear this strange grin though, prompting Rakan to call him out on it.

"What the hell's so funny? Huh, buddy?"

Rodelle chuckled. "I'm afraid we'll have to cut our bout short. You see, I've been periodically taking breaks to ready your boat for departure. You really shouldn't have left that map to Hargeon Harbor on the desk. I bid thee adieu." He finished before warping. No more than ten seconds later did the boat begin to set sail. Rakan contemplated blowing the thing up, but he was still making payments on it.

"Well shit…"

**XxOutside the Fairy Tail guildxX**

The guild closely observed their newest arrival before Natsu called him out.

"Who the hell are you!" Natsu demanded.

"Albireo… Imma…" Eva said to herself, but loud enough for people in earshot.

"Wait, didn't you say he was a member of Ala Rubra?" Erza pointed out.

Al decided to make his presence known. "Indeed, I am Albireo Imma, at your service. I intended to use an alias I've been working on, but Kitty here ruined my only chance."

"What was the alias going to be?" Lucy asked.

"Colonel Sanders."

The guild sweatdropped.

"Glad I beat you to it." Eva said.

"Is this guy really a SS-Class mage?" Gray asked.

"You'd be surprised. Almost the entire guild of Ala Rubra is famous for being a bunch of idiots who can't do anything but fight." Eva informed him.

"Now, now, Kitty. That's not very nice of you to say. I'm a very intelligent individual with many different uses." Al defended, not very pleased with the image she was creating for him.

"You collect life stories. It's a depressing and boring hobby if you ask me." Eva said in response.

"Harsh as ever aren't you Kitty?"

"No thanks to your personality. People like you are so annoying. You'd get along great with the pink-haired mutt over here." Eva said while gesturing towards Natsu with her thumb.

"Hey, I told you to stop calling me that! My name's Natsu! And I'm not annoying!" He yelled indignantly.

Al adopted a serious look. "Natsu?"

"That's him." Eva responded.

"So he's the Dragon Child, huh?" Al said in a voice only Eva could hear.

"He's not what I expected really. I wasn't kidding when I compared him to you folks. He'd fit right in at your old guild." Eva responded in a similar tone of voice.

Eva then cut their personal conversation short. "Now, why the hell are you here Al?"

"I come bearing information from an old friend of ours." Al told her.

"And what information would that be?" Eva asked, getting impatient.

Al handed Eva a letter. On the cover of the envelope was a well drawn portrait of Rakan making the peace sign. Sweatdropping, she opened the letter and read it.

"_Sup grandma? Some dude named Rodelle made it to Fiore. Sorry 'bout that. He's I.S. so watch out._

_Peace out, Rakan._

_PS: Don't worry, I totally tore him a new one before he hijacked my boat._

Eva set the letter on fire and tossed it at Natsu. Reflexively, he immediately caught it in his mouth.

"Damn retard. This is just great." Eva mumbled to herself.

"Well, my work here is done." Al said before turning to leave. He quickly noticed a figure in front of him, prompting him to look down and see Makarov.

"What's this, Albireo-kun. Going to leave without saying hi to me? How cruel" Makarov said, feigning hurt.

Al just adopted one of his usual infuriating grins. "Oh dear, nothing of the sort Makarov-san, you're just so short I didn't notice you were here."

"Well aren't you a smartass… So, how've you been? Haven't seen you since the war. Honestly thought you WERE dead." Makarov asked the man.

"I've been a bit… into… my hobby lately. You be surprised how many interesting people there are in Paramecia." Al responded flatly.

"You were in the Ala Rubra/Cosmo Entelecheia war Master?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Only parts of it. It was kind of a big deal when it happened. Nagi-baka and me were drinking buddies back in the day. He could hold his liquor like no other teenager I'd seen. It's all in the past anyways, that's why I let Katherine explain it the other day."

Makarov paused before stroking his beard. "That reminds me. Who exactly are you… Katherine?" Makarov says with a serious look, directed straight at Eva. Eva glares right back, mildly shocking the old man. Those in the guild that knew of Eva's situation stod by with bated breath until Al suddenly stepped between the two's staring contest.

"Maa, Maa, calm down, both of you." Al pleaded. _"Katherine? I guess that's her alias…" _

Al continued, attempting to diffuse the now tense atmosphere. "Kitty's parents were good friends of Ala Rubra back in the day, so we're all pretty close. Don't get suspicious or anything, okay Makarov-san? This kind of hostility is quite unneeded."

Makarov sighed. "You're right… I've gotten a bit paranoid in my old age I guess. What with Master Purehito and such. If Albireo-kun trusts you than I do too. I should've trusted you in the first place." Makarov said to Eva in an apologetic tone.

Eva bowed in response before sending Al a quite thankful glance, which he responded to with yet another one of his groan-inducing grins, causing Eva to form a tick mark. Makarov stretched a bit before walking up to Eva and placing a hand on her shoulder.

He whispered in a low but serious tone. "We'll talk about this later. I know for a fact that you're hiding something, and Albireo-kun just bailed you out. Know that if you EVER hurt this guild-my family-I will END YOU." He said while releasing a large burst of concentrated killing intent. Eva began to sweat, but held up just fine.

"I wasn't lying though. I do trust you. You've helped Natsu reflect on his personality, forced Gazille out of his solitary shell, and brought back Mira's confidence. I truly believe you are a good person, but please… Don't betray this trust. We'll talk later." He finished before walking away.

Eva looked back before wiping the sweat off her brow. After a few moments, she just chuckled to herself with a small grin in place.

"_I suppose there still are some people out there who care, and have more than enough backbone to enforce their ideals. Don't worry Jii-san. The first time something comes up that threatens the guild, I'm leaving. It's not worth the trouble. Of course, losing my newest student would be a pretty dig downer." _

Eva was brought out of her internal monologue by the loud, obnoxious, yet always to be expected voice of Natsu. Turning her attention to were the voice was coming from, she saw Natsu in Al's face.

"You're supposed to be wicked tough, right?" Natsu asked.

Responding with the usual Al Grin™, he answered calmly. " I'm at least confident in my abilities. Why do you ask?"

Natsu threw back a grin of his own, showing off his elongated, sharper teeth. "Lets fight! Mira and Erza got me feeling left out. I wanna' have a go at somebody too!"

Eva stepped in immediately. "Um… I don't really think you want to do that…" She said sheepishly. "You'll lose… Badly…" She said, not taunting for once. She was being completely honest.

"I know that." Natsu responded, shocking everybody who decently knew him. He stepped back up to Al.

"Please Al-san. I don't want a spar like Mira and Erza had a little while ago. I want an honest to goodness test of my skills right now. I don't want to admit it, but I'm beginning to feel… inadequate around here. I could barely move Gildarts a few feet, Katherine beat me before I could even get serious 'cause my resolve was weak, and Mira's learned this awesome new spell." He explained in a sort of pleading voice. Everybody was completely quiet, listening intently.

"I want to fight the man who fought beside the Thousand Master. If you accept, know that I'm going to give it everything I've got." He finished, regaining his normal, upbeat and confident attitude.

Al looked at him seriously for once. "Normally, I would refuse, but I understand all to well how you feel. I've never been one to show too much emotion, and usually keep quiet about my dislikes, but being around Nagi for so long can be more than infuriating. Not because of his personality, but because he was better than me at everything when he was only half my age. I trained, and still train to this day, in order to live up to my position as an ally of the Thousand Master, a position I still carry, and proudly at that. I will fight you, and hope that you really will give it everything you have, because you'll need it."

Eva stared at Al in awe. She'd never seen him like this, but in a strange way, he was so much like Natsu, albeit in a much different manner. He was a man who masked his emotions and feelings of inadequacy with humor, while Natsu hid his with frequent boasts. She was not going to interrupt this fight. This wasn't a friendly spar, this was a test, a test of ones worth on the battlefield, which would in turn determine how ready he was to defend his family.

Natsu pumped his fist. "Mō eteki dazō!"

**AN: Translates to "I'm fired up!". The reason I left this untranslated is that he says this extremely often in the anime. If you've watched it, you'll find it as a kind of catchphrase, which I feel should be kept intact. Seeing as though he'll be saying this more in my story, this is the last time I'll remind you readers. Keep it in mind.**

"Karyū no Tekken!" Natsu yelled as he lunged forward, his flaming hand heading right towards Al's torso, only to stop in midair.

"What the hell was-" Natsu was cut off and sent careening backwards by an unknown force straigt into a tree, breaking it in half. Natsu sprinted right back towards Al again, only to be met with the same result, breaking a different tree this time. On his third try, Natsu noticed Al subtly point his palm at him. Taking this as the sign of another attack, Natsu leapt into the air. This time, he wasn't sent flying back. Flinging his arms backwards, large streams of fire extend from his arms. Swinging them in a whip-like fashion from above, Natsu called out.

"Karyū no Yokugeki!"

Looking upwards, Al simply batted away each strand of flame quickly, causing a small burst of fire upon dispelling. In the short amount of time his vision was blocked by this, Natsu closed in, making Al's eye widen in surprise. Pulling both of his hands up to his mouth, Natsu sent a massive stream of fire straight into Al's body at point blank range.

"Karyū no Hōkō!"

As the large burst of red-hot flames engulfed Al's position, the audience stood by with held breath. As the smoke and flames flickered away, it was revealed that Al was not there at all. Quickly turning around, Natsu was met by a large black sphere of energy colliding with his chest, sending him careening backwards. After being pushed a good twenty yards away, the orb expanded, sending Natsu to the floor at intense speeds, causing him to cough up blood upon impact. Forcing himself upwards, he was met with his foe, sporting the Al Grin™.

**XxWith the SpectatorsxX**

"How did he get out of the way like that! Natsu was practically touching him!" Lucy said in a frantic tone.

"Looked like a Shundō to me." Gildarts answered.

Eva nodded. Seeing the confused looks around her, she decided to elaborate. "Correct. Shundō is a high level ability that grants the user a sudden burst of speed, making it look like they instantly changed location. Not many people use it, but if you head west, you'll find certain guilds with mages that can use it." She explained.

"I guess I really shouldn't have judged him by his cover…" Gray said lowly.

"Those spells of his a strange though. What is he doing?" Erza asked.

"It's definitely gravity magic. I just recently fought a guy who used it." Gildarts answered once more.

"Al specializes in no-incantation gravity spells. It helps him keep the element of surprise by not calling out any technique names. But there is a weakness to it." Eva elaborated yet again.

"And what would that be?" Gray asked with a raised eyebrow.

"In exchange for being faster on the draw and less predictable, the strength of the push and pull of his spells are slightly weaker than the traditional way of casting. Without making the effort towards it, his spells can be worked around by somebody with high endurance."

Lucy sweatdropped. "That's something Natsu has plenty of for certain."

**XxBattlefieldxX**

"That was a very good combo Natsu-kun, taking advantage of my blocked view, however brief it was. But note this, there are people who are just flat out faster than you. What may seem like a good range might not be enough, case-in-point being what I just did." Al explained in a happy tone unbefitting of the situation.

"Damn it!" Natsu cursed as he sent another flame covered fist at Al, only to be met by Al's "push wall" again. Natsu then decided to try and fight the push, lest he be sent into another tree.

"Karyū no Enchū!" He yelled as a jet of flame burst from his elbow, acting to propel his punch. It worked, as Natsu slowly inched closer towards Al, not being sent in the opposite direction. Just as Natsu's fist was about a foot away from Al's torso, his target decided to put a little more "oomph" into his push. Natsu was once again sent flying backwards, hitting the ground and skidding a decent distance before grinding to a stop.

"Once again, a good idea. You think on your feet quite well, but did you honestly think I was pushing with all my might? I obviously had some room to give. Nice try though." Al taunted.

Natsu got right back up and wejt at Al with another jet-propelled punch. Deciding not to start out slow, Al put his maximum push in right off the bat, sending Natsu back as per usual. But something caught Al's eye, and that was a large grin plastered onto Natsu's face as he traveled backwards.

Righting himself in midair, Natsu landed feet first on the tree he would have otherwise broken, using the momentum granted by Al to spring right back at him. As he careened this time TOWARDS Al, he was slowly enveloped in flame. Heading straight for Al, he collided with Al's gravity wall head first.

"Karyū no Kenkaku!" After a tough and tense fight, Natsu broke through and headbutted Al right in the chest, this time sending him back for once. Al immediately regained his ground and skid a few yards, stopping a bit hunched forwards. Bringing himself back upwards Natsu's work was revealed. A head sized hole was in Al's cloak, showing a slightly singed bare chest. SLIGHTLY.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Natsu yelled while pulling at his pink hair. The last person his did that to had tons of broken ribs and third-degree burns. Al looked like he dropped some hot food on his chest at the dinner table.

"Brilliant Natsu-kun! I'm honestly quite surprised that you manage to-" Al was cut off by a shadow suddenly cast above him. Looking up he saw Natsu with an extremely large ball of flame raised above his head. Bringing it down, he yells.

"Karyū no Kōen!"

Raising his palm, Al touched the ball of flame and sent a burst of gravity through it, causing it to combust and spread out in different directions. Once again, Natsu was not where he expected to be once the flames subsided. Now ground level with him, Natsu pulled in for a punch… only to be met with one to his own face.

Bringing his guard up, Natsu blocked the next few punches before sending his own right jab at Al. Moving slightly to the left, Al caught the punch in his armpit. Tugging downwards, he sent Natsu stumbling forwards, greeting him with a good knee to the face while simultaneously releasing his grip on the arm.

With blood now pouring out of his nose, Natsu reengaged as if the blow never happened. Unleashing a barrage of flame-enhanced punches and kicks, Natsu slowly began to realize a certain fact.

Al was pretty damn good at hand-to-hand combat.

Natsu had figured that Al would be a dude with a glass jaw. Honestly, he didn't even really look like he knew how to throw a punch! But here he was, blocking, dodging, or redirecting every single one of Natsu strikes. This in-and-of-itself was indeed surprising, but what really got on Natsu's nerves was something else.

"WHY. (punch) AREN'T. (kick) YOU. (elbow) GETTING BURNT?" Natsu exclaimed.

Rathen than an answer, he got the Al Grin™… Followed up by what felt like the hardest punch he'd ever taken to the gut. He didn't have to know that it was gravity enhanced…

Skidding to the ground and coughing up more blood, Natsu looked at Al with wonder.

"You really are strong. I'm glad you're doing this." He said firmly.

He slowly stood up before taking a tense stance, his body igniting in fire. A large concentration of pure magical energy can be felt emanating from his person, and it was rapidly rising. Suddenly, cracks of electricity joined the flames.

"Raienryū!"

Al looked at Natsu a bit nervously.

"This looks… bad."

**XxBreakxX**

"Natsu can still do that? I thought it was temporary!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Apparently not…" Gray responded quietly.

"This changes everything." Erza stated.

Eva, on the other hand, was quite confused. "What's going on? I don't get it. His magic power is steadily rising!"

"That's Natsu's ultimate power!" A high-pitched voice announced.

Turning to the left, the group saw none other than Happy the Cat.

"… It talks?" Eva deadpanned.

"That's Happy. Natsu's best friend." Lucy explained.

"Really now…" Eva said in a similar tone than before.

"Aye!" Happy responded, well… happily. "Laxus was a member of our guild that used Rairyu magic. During a tough battle, he sent the majority of his magic energy into Natsu. Natsu can now mix the powers of the Karyu and the Rairyu together for short amounts of time!" Happy explained.

Erza decided to elaborate further. "The last time I saw him use it, I was in absolute awe. It didn't make him faster or anything, but the stopping power behind his attacks just skyrocketed. He's basically a walking cannon right now."

Eva simply stared at Natsu while slowly forming a light grin.

**XxBreakxX**

Al stared at his newly transformed opponent. He was, for the first time in a while, just a bit nervous. Al had no doubt he could handle it, that's for certain, it's just that the effort involved to do so had jumped considerably. He would have to get a bit… Serious. Al didn't like that. He wasn't a serious person. Even in combat. Seriousness, in Al's case, amounted to simple silence. If Al wasn't mocking you during a fight, you could tell he meant business.

Since Natsu had transformed, Al hadn't said a word.

Natsu, tired of waiting, dove forward at Al. Not content to just wait for Natsu to show up, Al began firing mini black holes at him. They weren't mini for long though, as the minute they entered Natsu's field of attack they expanded, sending Natsu a decent distance back. Skidding to a stop, Natsu examined the current attacks still heading towards him. One after the other aimed at the four corners of his body, as if he were a square. After his quick analysis Natsu sprinted into the path of the magic projectiles. With a massive fury of punches and kicks, albeit with a bit of subtle grace, Natsu disposed of each orb.

It was a surprise to the ears just as much as it was to the eyes. As Natsu's limbs traveled through the air, the sound of fire "wooshing" was prominent, but the minute they collided with something, the fire would burst and a bolt of lightning would take its place, causing a loud crack that echoed the field. Still in midair, upside-down even, from his little "melee spree", Natsu pointed his left hand at Al in the shape of a gun. His pointer finger began to zap with electricity while his thumb has a small flame lit around it. With a small grin Natsu tried out his newest attack.

"Raienryū no Renkūdan!"

The fire on Natsu's thumb ignited, sending a thin bolt of electricity off of his finger straight at Al. Surprised at the sheer speed of the attack, Al can only try to duck. Not expecting speed to be something Natsu would come at him with, he was sorely unprepared for such an attack. He had intended to just meet his attacks head on with high-level gravity magic. Maybe even a few chanted ones. But this was… unexpected. The bullet of electricity went straight into one end of his shoulder and out the other.

**XxBreakxX**

"He never used that attack before! It's so fast!" Lucy exclaimed.

Erza nodded. "I doubt even I could follow that."

Gray joined in. "The fire on his thumb propelled the lightning on his index finger. A bit smart for Natsu eh?" He said with a laugh.

"He… injured Al?" Eva said under her breath. _"Dragon Child Natsu… You truly are interesting for a mutt."_

**XxBreakxX**

With a grunt of pain followed by a small curse, Al observed his wound. As he tried to touch it, he got zapped! Natsu's magic energy was so potent it left residual damage even after the initial attack. Al is brought out of his musings by Natsu's ever so famous tactic of closing in on you while you distracted.

"_This is the third time he's done this… I need to pay better attention from now on…" _

As the two engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat once more, Al immediately noticed the differences this time around. Al was still better than Natsu at close combat, far better in fact. But that didn't insinuate by any means that Natsu was bad at it. He was fast and efficient enough that he rarely had time to dodge, only block, but that wasn't a problem. His barrier would stave off the magic damage his fire would normally bring down, but this time was different. He would block a punch in the same manner as before, with his barrier diluting the fire, but right afterwards a bolt of lightening would strike the same spot. Lightening magic was… troublesome to say the least. It had natural barrier breaking qualities, case in point being that Natsu's projectile attack pierced his shoulder. Having lightning behind his attacks actually put Natsu a notch above Al on the CQC scale. That's not to say that Al was out of ideas…

Creating a small field of rejective gravity (pushing outwards) around both of his arms, he started to swing at Natsu. With the added range brought on by his magic enhancements, Natsu misjudged when to block, taking a near invisible punch to the gut. He immediately responded with a blow of his own straight into Al's face. Lightning and all. Al shrugged it off just as Natsu shrugged of his previous blow. Al now had the advantage. Natsu's blows would stop short when he blocked, causing the lightning strikes that followed to come at an extended range. With a few feet between himself and the starting point of the lightning, Al was now able to narrowly dodge them. Natsu wouldn't falter though, no matter how hard he got hit. He was living up to the tank-like role Erza described him having in this form. But alas, he still needed to do something about this.

Noting that he wasn't ahead anymore, Natsu jumped backwards and then into the air. Spreading his arms out to his sides, he began gathering magical energy into each one. Fire in the right hand, electric in the left. Swinging forwards and clapping his hands together, Natsu yelled out.

"Raienryū no Kōen!"

Immediately, a semicircle of lighting magic appeared to Al's left, and the same happened to his right, but with fire. With the clasping of Natsu's hands, they both closed in to create an explosive sphere around Al.

"_Shit."_

"Statue et Repellere!" Al yelled as a sphere of dark energy appeared around him.

"Vis Clipeum!"

**XxBreakxX**

"Whoa!" Most of the spectators yelled while covering their eyes from the bright light caused by Natsu's attack.

Eva stared straight ahead, unflinchingly, despite this. "It's no good." She stated.

"What do you mean? Natsu's attack is going to hit dead on!" Happy said desperately.

"See the magic gathering around Al? He's making a force field. If Al really want's the attack to stop, he can make it so." She explained.

"Damn, it looked good though!" Gray said.

**XxBreakxX**

Natsu's attack successfully closed in around Al and stayed in place, with flames raging and lighting crackling. Suddenly, the sphere burst open, the elements making it up scattering throughout the sky. Al stood hunched over with a bit of a hitch in his breath, but overall no worse for wear.

"That was impressive Natsu-kun. You truly are powerful. You discredit yourself. Inadequacy does not suit you." Al spoke sincerely with the Al Grin™ in place.

Natsu was panting heavily at this point. Al managed to repel that last attack. The one downside to this form is that his magic reserves increase at the start, and then fall faster and faster as he fights. It was really just a matter of time before he would cop out. He didn't want this to happen. He needed to let it rip…

Natsu reared his body back and inhaled loudly. The magic buildup was almost tangible. The sparks and flares emanating from his being was more than intense. Say hello to that one attack that carved a hole through an island.

**XxBreakxX**

Erza turned towards the rest of the group. "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" She screamed.

Everyone complied, even Eva.

**XxBreakxX**

"Raienryū no Hōkō!"

The beam of thunder and fire barreling towards Al was awe-inspiring. Al was actually forced to initiate one of his main defensive spells.

"Oh Gravitatis, Potentia Absoluta, Dico Tibi! Monstrare Omnibus Viribus Tuis et Munere Cessant!"

Al chanted as the space around him began to crack. The grass stopped moving, birds hit the ground, and all movement stopped.

"Manga Confracto Dimensionis!"

As Natsu's Hyper Beam entered the field of nothingness that Al had created, the attack width began to narrow. The spell Al used was an intense one. It was the ultimate defensive spell that worked a bit unconventionally. Time inside the field actually froze, and through intense magical concentration, even dimensional walls fumbled, causing cracks to appear in midair. It was commonly used as an entrapment breaking spell. Any sort of restrictive magic would fall to the will of this dimension breaking concentration of gravity. It was indeed still gravity, but with such force and concentration it could shatter the dimensional barriers themselves under its weight. The field should most definitely reject even Natsu's Uber Beam. This was not so.

The magical concentration of Natsu's attack was too strong, stronger than Al's even. It was obvious that Natsu had put ALL of his remaining energy into this attack, and regardless of the caliber, Al's defensive spell would not triumph. But, despite this, not even Natsu's attack could COMPLETELY disregard Al's spell. It was weakened, but still on a direct course towards Al. As the attack ripped straight through Al's position, a large roar emanated from the beam while it carved through the earth. It continued going until it could no longer be seen. A truly fearsome attack. As the smoke cleared, Al was revealed to be still standing, but banged up.

His entire cloak had been torn off, as well as his hair band, letting his long blue hair flow with the wind. He had numerous cuts, some of them gashes, all across his person, along with tears in his outfit. He was wearing a sleeveless black sweater and dark blue cargo pants. He also had shoulder, shin, and arm guards on his person. Now, at first glance, this seems to look like an outfit designed for easy mobility and close-range combat. This was not so. It would only seem that way to someone who did not have the displeasure of truly knowing Al. One look, and any of his associates would immediately realize it was designed just so he could look badass when his cloak ever came off, be it of his own volition or not. It worked of course.

Then, a scary event happened. Al GLARED straight at Natsu. Back with the spectators, Eva went slack-jawed at the sight. Al was ANGRY?

**XxBreakxX**

"Oh shit…" Eva said dramatically. "He broke Al's defense? He broke the Great Dimension Breaker?"

**XxBreakxX**

"You… You…" Al said darkly in a low tone. Natsu, who currently had his hands on his knees, panting like a dog, flinched at his gaze.

"YOU BURNT MY HAIRBAND!" Al proclaimed to the heavens themselves. Sweatdrops adorned all who were watching the exchange. There was an eerie silence, broken soon by Natsu.

"You're still okay? This is crazy… I… I CAN'T LOSE!" Natsu screamed as he charged towards Al.

Natsu began channeling his very life energy into his next attack. Exhaustion be damned, he was taking this pedo-grinned bastard DOWN! Gathering magical energy in his hands similar to the manner of Raienryū no Kōen, Natsu began to twirl in a circle instead of the previous method. Soon, an entire vortex of fire and lightning swirled violently around Natsu.

"Metsuryū Ougi Kai: Guren Bakuraijin!"

As Natsu charged towards Al like a top, his foe decided to end this once and for all. Raising his hands out in front of him, Al chanted what he intended to be his final spell.

"Oh Gravitatis Potentia Absoluta, Dico Tibi! Plerumque Tuum et Descende Coaequo Terram Ipsam!" The sky above the entire field began to darken. Just as Natsu is a few yards in front of him, Al droped his arms.

"Infinitum Gravitatis Sed!"

The sky immediately rained down upon the field, crushing EVERYTHING. The trees flattened, the grass died, all unfortunate wildlife hit the floor, and Natsu's attack dissipated easily. Natsu himself collided with the earth shortly thereafter. The force of this "Gravity Well" was still weighing down on the battlefield. The ground itself began to deepen, crumbling under the near infinite weight, Natsu as well.

As the force of Al's attack subsides, he walked over to Natsu, still facedown. He leaned down to make sure Natsu was out. Sure enough, he was completely unconscious. He quickly snatched Natsu's wristband and tied his hair back into a tail before turning to head back to the spectators. He still had more than half of his magic power left…

**XxChapter EndxX**

**Kinda underestimated the overall length, but look at it this way: **

**Phantasmagoria was originally three chapters, this is two.**

**Either way, this came out great. I edited a few of the translations myself, considering does only so much. A lot harder when you have to research! I really hope you enjoyed this, and starting January, I'll try to get a schedule of two updates a month MINIMUM. See you then!**

**Read and Review. Xeno out. Peace.**

**XxSpell InfoxX**

**Eternal Negi Fever****: **Already direct translation.

**Karyū no Tekken****: **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist"

**Karyū no Yokugeki****: **"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack"

**Karyū no Hōkō****: **"Fire Dragon's Roar"

**Shundō****: **"Instant Movement"

**Karyū no Enchū****: **"Fire Dragon's Elbow"

**Karyū no Kenkaku****: **"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn"

**Karyū no Kōen****: **"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame"

**Raienryū****: **"Lightning Flame Dragon" (The "en" is what turns "fire" into "flame". "Ka" is what denoted fire. Karyu, Enryu. Get it?)

**Raienryū no Renkūdan*****: **"Lightning Flame Dragon's Bullet"

**Raienryū no Kōen****: **"Lightning Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame"

**Vis Clipeum*****: **"Force Field"

**Vis Clipeum* (Chant)****: **"Halt and Repel!"

**Raienryū no Hōkō****: **"Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar"

**Oh Gravitatis, Potentia Absoluta, Dico Tibi!****: **"Oh Gravity, Power Absolute, I Call Upon Thee!"

**Magna Confracto Dimensionis****: **"Great Dimension Breaker"

**Magna Confracto Dimensionis (Chant*)****: **"Show Your Strength and Cease All Function!"

**Metsuryū Ougi Kai: Guren Bakuraijin:** "Dragon Slayer's New Secret Art: Crimson Exploding Lighting Blade:

**Infinitum Gravitatis Sed*****: **"Eternal Gravity Well"

**Infinitum Gravitatis Sed*(Chant)****: **"Let Your Power Descend and Flatten the Very Earth Itself!"

**(* = Denotes something original by me!)**


	10. Madness Abound

**Quick Note: I'm going to start taking some spells from the "Tales of" series of games, since they all rock. Hope it's not inappropriate to do so. Enjoy my return!**

**XxChapter StartxX**

Natsu awakens with a monster of a headache. His eyes pan around the room to quickly ascertain his location.

"_I'm in the infirmary… Ah! That's right… I got my ass kicked by that Al dude… Damn it." _He muses to himself.

Soon after, pain rocks his body. He aches all over, and his magic power is low. Just as he's about to get up to get clothed, a voice addresses him to his left.

"Finally awake eh?" The feminine voice asks.

"Katherine…"

"You feeling okay Natsu?" Eva asks, only moderately concerned. It was mostly courtesy.

"Hehe… I've been better. I guess I graduated from 'mutt' then?" He asks.

Eva chuckles lightly. "You've earned my respect; to a degree. Fighting Al like that… I didn't know you had it in you honestly."

Natsu stays silent for a few moments. He takes a deep breath before responding. "It was probably the most serious fight I've ever been in." He said honestly.

Eva raises an eyebrow to the statement. "Really now? I heard you've been in some pretty damn dire situations before. You know, 'life on the line' and whatnot."

"This wasn't like that at all, and those weren't like this." Natsu says while shaking his head. "Those fights were to protect my friends. This fight was a test."

"A test of what, exactly? All I saw was one big pissing contest." Eva teases.

"Exactly" Natsu responds, slightly shocking her. "Probably the most important pissing contest in my life actually." He adds.

"How so?"

"Well, remember how the day after you joined the guild you gave me the lecture of my life then kicked my ass?" Natsu asks.

Eva lets out a small bark of laughter. "How could I. It was quite the memorable occasion if I do say so my self. Enjoyable too."

Natsu frowns slightly, but continues anyways. "I really started thinking about what you said actually." Eva's eyes widen slightly. "I've been in so many fights, and the ones where I was solo, I didn't really think things through. When I fought the King of Edolas, I had Wendy and Gazille with me. When I fought Hades, I had damn near the whole guild at my back. Those were situations where people could do some thinking for me. But solo…" He pauses slightly.

"I've never really handled thinks correctly. I've gotten my ass kicked about as many times as I've kicked another person's ass actually. I tend to do pretty dumb ass shit to win sometimes… Hehe… Me and Gazille just pretty much beat the shit out of each other until one of us couldn't move. I ate a magic bomb to beat Gerard. I only beat Laxus because he was worried about other crap at the time. Then with Blane, Gerard needed to bail my ass out. And that Zancrow guy, I took a gamble by emptying my magic power to see if it would let me eat his fire. I could've died if it didn't work."

"So you're going to try and think a little more? I saw some decent strategizing in your battle with Al." Eva says.

"Man, I know you said that guy was good, but honestly. He kicked my ass." Natsu says playfully, but with some true hurt hidden behind his words.

Eva lets out a small chuckle. "Don't let it get to you. I've haven't seen anyone push Al like that since the war."

"So you were around for that huh?" Natsu says.

Eva freezes up, noticing her flub, but Natsu calms her down. "Forget it. I really don't care. You're obviously older and tougher than you look. Doesn't really matter to me. Just… Don't hurt any of us, okay?" Natsu says honestly.

Eva looks shocked, but manages to reply. "You really are something special, you know that? Like the blonde girl said, you really care about every single guild member huh?"

Natsu grins. "The minute you get that mark, you're family. That's how it works around here. I protect my family."

"Is that why you didn't fight me seriously a few weeks back?" She asks.

Natsu stays silent, answering her question anyways. After a few minutes of silence, Natsu speaks up.

"How long have I been out?"

"About a week, give or take. It wasn't the injuries, it was the magic depletion. You were absolutely empty when you passed out. It was a long recovery process." She explained.

"That's a long time… Has anything special happened since I was out?" Natsu asks.

An uncharacteristically wide grin spreads across Eva's face. "You're going to absolutely LOVE the latest issue of Sorcerer's Weekly." She says while reaching over to the nightstand next to Natsu and lifting up said magazine.

"Eh… I'm not big on reading and stuff. What's so important?"

"There's a tournament coming to Fiore." She says.

Natsu perks up immediately. "What for?"

Eva chuckles at his enthusiasm. "For guilds to compete to see who's the absolute best on the continent." She answers.

Natsu just about squeals in excitement. "What's it like?"

"It's called The Great Magic Games. It's a very popular annual event over in Paramecia. Any guild on the continent is allowed to compete, but there are a few rules and restrictions."

"Like what?"

"Well, first off, only eight guilds will be participating in the main event. A preliminary event will get rid of all the stragglers. It's going to be televised across Communication Lachryma everywhere. They want the broadcast to be high quality. Top guilds only." She explains.

"I'd expect nothing less! Who wants to watch the small fry fight?" Natsu says.

Eva chuckles once more before continuing. "Secondly, only five mages can compete as a team. No more, no less. A guild can send as many teams of five as they wish to the preliminaries, but the guild master cannot compete."

"No Jii-chan huh? That would be too easy anyways." Natsu muses.

"Finally, there's a massive trophy along with some damn good prize money for the winning team. 18,000,000 J. for victory."

Natsu's eyes widen slightly. "That's a lot of money!" He exclaims.

"_I'm worth dozens of times that…"_

"When's this thing take place?"

"We got three months to train and form our proper teams." She answers.

"So we're entering?" Natsu asks hopefully.

Eva grins at Natsu's attitude. It's hard to stay angry around such childlike ignorance. "Jii-san jumped at the chance to win that kind of money. A few teams are already being formed. I've got mine."

"You already made a team?" He asks surprised.

"Me, Mira, Gildarts, Gray, and Gazille." She names.

Natsu is gob smacked. "That's unfair! You guys'll win hands down!" He screams desperately. He really hoped Eva was lying. That team was just designed to tear shit up. They had Gildarts for God's sake!

"Actually, Gildarts is fighting the whole idea. So is Gray. They just know better than to cross me."

Natsu looks a tab bit hopeful at this info.

"Gildarts feels that this is all just more trouble than it's worth. His left arm and leg have been bugging him recently as well. I don't think I'll be able to convince him honestly." She says trailing off at the end.

"What about Gray?" Natsu asks.

"He keeps on going on and on about how 'Team Natsu is my home, sorry'…" Eva complains.

Natsu is slightly touched at Gray's indirect words. Only slightly though. And he would never admit it to anyone, especially Gray. But still, the thought reached him.

"If you'll let him come, I'll just go with my team. There's five of us you know." He informs, before beginning to count off some names on his fingers. "Me, Lucy, Gray, Erza, and Wendy. We've always gelled pretty well in the past."

"Well, lets hope you 'gel' enough to impress the judges." Eva says.

"There are judges? Who are they?" Natsu asks.

Eva puts a finger to her chin, imitating a contemplative gesture. "I might have to read it again, but I'm pretty sure that it was one civilian, one council member, and a member from one of the finalist's guild."

"Isn't that a bit unfair? Having one of the competing guild's members judge?" Natsu questions.

"From what I read, they won't be able to make decisions concerning their guild, and will mostly stick to a commentary-type performance." She explains.

"It's in three months, right?"

Eva nods.

"Than I need to start training! Mou eteki dazou" Natsu cries his catchphrase while pumping his fist.

"Well, lets hope you're as 'fired up' as you were with Al. Your determination is a pretty good tool when put to proper use." Eva lectures.

Just then, Natsu slaps a fist to an open palm, as if remembering something.

"That's right! What ever happened to that Al guy anyways? And where the hell's my scarf!" Natsu questions.

Eva makes a nervous grin. "Yeah… About that…"

**XxScene BreakxX**

Back at the guild, it's as rowdy as ever. Drinking, dancing, and fighting are all to be had. All in a days work really. Lisanna was playing waitress since Mira was performing on stage with Lucy. Lucy was currently singing, and both her and Mira had a guitar in hand. Mira was playing lead of course, since Lucy only knew a few base chords. They were currently garnering a lot of attention.

"_Kawaita, kokoro de kake nukeru,_

_Gomen ne, nani mo de kinakute,_

_Itami wo, wakachiau koto sae,_

_Anata wa, yurushite kurenai,"_

Gazille, Levy, Gildarts, Gray, Happy, Wendy, and one annoying man sit at a table in the audience.

"Heh. Guess the bunny girl CAN do a bit more than dancing." Gazile remarks.

Levy slaps him over the back of the head. "Lu-chan can do lots of things, Baka-Gazille." She scolds.

Gray looks on in silent fascination as Gazille rubs his head and grumbles in response.

"_I pretty sure Levy's the only one Gazille would let get away with that. Funny considering how hostile he usually is."_

Gray is broken from his thoughts by Erza's voice. "So, I assume we're all entering the tournament?" She questions.

Gazille takes his attention off of Levy to answer first, while Lucy comes to sit down, having finished her song. "Of course. I can't wait to let go!" Gazille proclaims.

Lucy lets the group know she's here by mocking Gazille. "As always, you and your 'fight all' mentality. Of course you're on board with this whole fiasco."

"Hey, I just want to fight the strongest, okay?" Gazille says with a glare.

"And besides," Happy adds. "I'm pretty sure Natsu would jump on board just as fast too."

Gildarts lazily raises his hand. "About all this stuff, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be entering." He announces.

To Gildarts' surprise, most of the table lets out a sigh of relief, slightly offending him. "Hey! What's that all about? Am I really that unpleasant to be around?"

Gray tries to calm him down. "No, it's nothing like that. You're a totally cool guy, we all love ya', but nobody here wants to fight you. Like, ever." He explains.

"Yeah, there are a few people in this world I could go without fighting, and you're one of them." Gazille says.

"But if Team Natsu is entering together, wouldn't he have to be on your team Gazille?" Lucy points out.

Gazille shrugs his shoulders. "Then it just goes from too hard to too easy. I don't like either of those options."

"I agree. Him, Mira, AND Kitty? No thanks." Gray says.

"My I ask why you're not entering Gildarts?" Erza asks.

"Besides the fact that it's just not my shtick? My arm and leg have been bugging me big time lately. Ever since that scuffle with Grimoire Heat, my prosthetics have been loosening." He reveals.

Wendy gains a somewhat sad look. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you with that, Gildarts-san." She says weakly.

Gildarts just ruffles her hair. "Don't worry about it Wendy-chan. I'm missing body parts. You can't be expected to do the impossible you know." He comforts.

"But…" She says with a bit of a hiccup in her breath. "I'm Fairy Tail's dedicated physician! I need to be able to help everybody, no matter what!" She cries.

Surprisingly, Gazille comes to the rescue, being the unlikely voice of comfort. "Don't let it get to you squirt. Not a single one of us dumbasses here can do anything other than break shit. The fact that you can fix anything using a Lost Magic is pretty awesome in my book. Don't sweat it."

Wendy weakly grins in response, but before she can speak her thanks, she's cut off by the final member of the table.

"Well Gildarts-san, I do believe that Kitty might be able to help you with your problem." Al says. Yes, Al. He's still here… Did I mention he was wearing Natsu's scarf?

Gildarts stares at Al in shock. Slowly finding his voice, he decides to speak up. "Can she really do something about my limbs?" Gildarts asked, almost desperately.

Al nods. "I'm not sure HOW she'd do it, but I'm pretty sure she might have a solution. If anybody knows something about reversing supposedly irreversible injuries, it's Kitty." He explains.

"Yeah, I've seen Hime do some pretty crazy shit on jobs. I saw her take a petrification spell to the arm, looked away for just a few minutes, and she comes back good as new. She can probably help." Gazille adds.

"Who IS Katherine anyways?" Lucy asks. "We know next to nothing about her. Where she came from, why she's here, what she can do. She's a complete enigma, from top to bottom. I mean, Gray knows her, but he won't say anything when I ask him." She complains.

Everybody "in the know" about Eva's circumstances keeps quiet. They know better than to cross the Dark Evangel.

"Where IS Kitty anyways?" Gildarts asks while slowly scanning the room for the girl in question.

Al gives the group the Al Grin™ before answering him. "I do believe she went to check in on Natsu-kun. She should be back-HURG!"

Al is cut off by a viscous right hook to the face, sending him crashing into the next table, causing Natsu's scarf to fly off of his person and into the air. While still in the air, the owner of the scarf catches it before putting it on and joining his friends at the table along with Eva, who was close behind.

"Ahhhh… Now that was therapeutic. Take my scarf eh?" Natsu says. A quick round of acknowledgement is given from the table's occupants.

"Mornin' kid." (Gildarts)

"Good morning Natsu." (Lucy)

"'Sup lizard breath?" (Gazille)

"Hey." (Gray)

"Good morning." (Wendy)

*brief nod* (Erza)

"Natsuuuuu!" (Happy)

After a tense moment of silence, Natsu finds something weird. Nobody cared that he decked Al in the face. He figured that he must have been getting on more that a few nerves over the week.

Happy flies over to Natsu and hovers over his shoulder. "Hey Natsu, did you hear the news?" He asks.

Just then, Mira walks by and drops a plate of flaming steak in front of Natsu before moving on the next table.

"You mean the tournament? Yeah, Rin told me. I'm totally all over that." Natsu responds before digging in to his strange meal.

"I take it that we as Team Natsu will be entering?" Erza inquires.

Eva coughs loudly to announce her presence. "About that. I've decided to allow Gray to attend the event with his old team." She says, mainly to Gray.

Gray pumps his fist. "Yes! Thanks a bunch Kitty." He thanks honestly. Right afterwards, Natsu (while chewing) ducks to dodge a mug that then collides with Gray's face. Shouldn't have called her Kitty.

"I've also decided that if he truly wishes it, I will NOT force Gildarts to participate either." She continues, as if nothing ever happened.

Erza raises an eyebrow at her statement. "Force him? Gildarts? If he doesn't want to there's nothing you can do about it." Erza states, as if the idea were ludicrous. She then starts getting strange looks from around the table.

Natsu (still chewing his food mind you) waves his hand under his neck, basically gesturing a big "no".

Gray, who's just recovered from his encounter with the mug, makes a thumbs down sign, covertly mind you.

Gazille just shakes his head at her.

Gildarts then leans over towards her. "Please, Kitty is one person I do NOT want to fight. Please don't speak for me!" He says in a loud whisper.

"If so, then I'd like to go a round and forge my own opinion."

"Yeah, you really don't want to fight her. I sure as hell wouldn't." Gazille says.

"I'd step down on this one Erza." Gray adds.

"Yeah (chew) I'd (chew) just be cool (chew) on this one." Natsu says, mouth still full.

"But, I really find it hard to-"

"I don't mind." Eva interrupts.

As Erza perks up at this, only to pause in remembrance of a certain conversation.

**XxFlashbackxX**

"_Hello there Titania." A voice calls. "Your legends of bravery and valor precede you." The man, who happens to be Azuma of Grimoire Heart says. "We're a lot alike, you and I."_

"_I don't quite understand." Erza responds. _

"_We both fight in pursuit of the strong, to test our skills."_

_Erza shakes her head. "No, I disagree. I don't care much for strong people." _

_Azuma shakes his head right back. "That's not true, or else you wouldn't have that kind of strength." _

"_All I need is the power to protect my comrades. As long as I can have the strength to do that, I don't care if I'm the weakest person in the world." She says resolutely. _

_Azuma's eyes widen slightly, and he's a bit speechless. _

_Erza forms a small smile before continuing. "I'm contradicting myself, aren't I?" _

_Azuma, having found his voice, speaks up. "You're a strange one, aren't you? You play by the rules straight and narrow eh?"_

**XxFlashback EndxX**

"_I thought I did, but… This feeling…." _Erza is brought out of her thoughts by Natsu's voice, him having finally finished his meal.

"Well, this oughta' be interesting! Lets go!"

"_No use thinking about it now. Better get going."_

**XxBreakxX**

A small crowd has gathered around the soon to be destroyed terrain, of majority of the people being spectators of the Erza/Mira fight. This time though, since Makarov is at the regular meeting to talk about the upcoming tournament, Gildarts is reffing.

"Okay, you all know the drill. No time limit, it's only over when one of you surrenders or I say enough's enough. No decapitation, amputation, bifurcation, hair pulling, or nut kicking. Got all that?"

"We're female dumbass." Eva scolds. Gildarts just shrugs his shoulders.

"Have at it and such." He says unenthusiastically. It angered Erza, since she knew his lack of interest was because he assumed she'd lose quickly.

Even though the fight had started, neither had made a move. They simply strategize in their heads.

"_Okay, I officially know jack shit about this girl's magic, and Natsu was zero help." _

**XxFlashbackxX**

_As Natsu was about to go join the others at the battleground, he's stopped by Eva._

"_Hey Natsu, what can you tell me about the red-haired girl's magic?" She asks._

_Natsu puts his hand to his chin. "Erza's? It's kinda' complicated really." _

"_Erza's magic is beautiful! Blood goes everywhere!" Happy interjects._

_Eva can only pinch the bridge of her nose at their incurable stupidity…_

**XxEnd FlashbackxX**

"_I saw her change her armor once against Mira, but beyond that I have no clue. I guess I should just let her go first." _Eva decides, nodding to herself.

Over on Erza's end, similar magical analysis are occurring.

"_I know for certain she's an ice mage, but I don't have any ice-resistant armors. I guess I'll have to improvise. Here we go."_

With a spike of magical energy, Erza Requips her first armor of the battle.

"Entei no Yoroi!"

This armor is dark red predominantly, but also sports black and orange parts, with the first ones being shaped like flames and the second resembling dragon's limbs. It's basically made up of three parts: the revealing breastplate with dragon-like wings attached to it, the orange gauntlets, and dragon claw-shaped greaves. Her hair is tied up into a pair of high, long pigtails.

Eva looks on in perhaps amusement. "Heh, quite interesting. 'Flame Empress Armor' you call it? Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not big on fire magic."

**XxWith SpectatorsxX**

"She has a point, doesn't she use ice magic?" Lucy asks.

Al grins. "That might by what Erza-chan's counting on."

"I don't get it." Wendy says.

Gray, being an ice mage himself, seems to get the idea as well. "Fire and ice are naturally opposing forces. The heat emanating from her armor might reduce the effects if Kitty's ice magic. It's a gamble, but it just might work."

**XxOn the FieldxX**

"Let's test that theory, shall we?" Eva says before holding her palm outwards.

"Ninety-nine arrows of ice, gather and prepare to strike the enemy!" Eva chants as dozens of orbs of ice appear in the air behind her.

"Sagitta Magica!"

**XxWith SpectatorsxX**

"That's a lot of ice. High magic capacity for sure." Gazille comments.

"She's firing them!" Wendy points out.

**XxOn the FieldxX**

Erza grins at the oncoming onslaught of ice. She rears her sword heavily to the left, almost to the point of turning around. She begins to glow with magic energy before flames burst out from below her. She swings her right arm forward and lets out her attack.

"Enha Houyokushou!"

A large phoenix or fire bursts from her sword and meets head on with Eva's arrows, melting them all, but loosing its shape in the process, resulting in nothing but a thick mist. As the mist clears, Erza finds Eva right in her face the minute visibility returned.

Dragging her hand through the air, Eva turns the wandering mist into a decently long sword of ice. She and Erza meet in a flurry of sword strikes, neither seeming to overpower the other. In the midst of this encounter, Erza and Eva hold light conversation. "You handle yourself well considering the height difference." Erza compliments.

"When you deal with a size as small as my own, you figure out a few ways to get around it. I'm not the kind of mage that would lose to such a simple handicap."

Erza doesn't buy it though. _"I can still tell she's having trouble. Granted she's plenty good at it, fencing is far from her strong point, and even with her good style, her height is still hindering her quite a bit. She's playing with me. She want's to beat me at my own game, to prove she's that much better, even if it means taking herself out of her own comfort zone. It's beyond insulting." _Erza seethes.

Fed up, Erza brings her sword down in a strong vertical slash, her blade alight with flame. Eva's sword, which has been getting smaller and smaller due to the heat over time, can barely hold back the hit. Eva prepares to push upwards and make a new blade, but takes a knee to the chest by Erza, causing her to reel forwards. Surprised by Erza's fake, she doesn't react fast enough when Erza grabs her long hair and pulls her up to eye level, then head butts her back to the ground, following up once more with a brutal kick that sent her back a few paces.

**XxWith SpectatorsxX**

"What the hell was that about?" Gray asks.

Natsu is concerned as well. "That was nothing like Erza at all. She was being too brutal. What happened?"

"She's angry. Very angry." Al theorizes.

"Look, she's deactivating her armor!" Lucy points out.

**XxOn the Fieldxx**

"HOW DARE YOU!" Erza bellows as her armor reverts to normal.

Eva, wiping blood from her face, looks on in surprise.

"I am a S-Class mage of Fairy Tail, and demand you treat me as such! Not like some preschooler!" She yells.

"_So she noticed. I suppose she's right. If I wouldn't do it to Mira, I should extend the same courtesy to her." _

Eva stands back up and nods to her foe. Erza, understanding her conformity, prepares to reengage, only to be halted by Gildarts' voice.

"Da-me! Last warning Erza, no hair pulling." He scolds. Erza blushes a bit before refocusing, reequipping her Entei no Yoroi.

"_Not that it did much good. She barely looks hurt. That should have done much more damage." _Erza observes.

"So you want to be taken seriously? You asked for it!" Eva warns before beginning to chant a spell.

"Voice of the North who's word brings cold. The Eternal Glacier, surrounded in mist. Soul of Pure White, substance intangible. Bring Thine wrath upon this land, and turn all to ice!"

The air around Eva begins to chill before she slams both palms to the ground.

"Touketsu Arano!" She cries as the area around her immediately freezes.

Shortly thereafter, the ground frozen begins to spread towards Erza. Soon, spears of ice begin to spurt from the frozen earth, hell-bent on stabbing her. Dodging left and right, the spears began to grow far too numerous. Intent on cutting down their numbers, she summons another sword and begins to cut and dodge at the same time. It's still too much though. Soon, she takes a hit on the thigh, then another on the shoulder, and before long she's covered in tiny lacerations. To her credit though, she was never once actually stabbed when the technique ended. After the last spear grew, they all burst into ice-shaped flowers. Standing, breath heavy, Erza looked across the now frozen wasteland straight at Eva, who seemed genuinely surprised.

"Not a single one got you? Heh, I suppose you are no slouch after all." Eva praises.

**XxWith SpectatorsxX**

"WHOA!" Natsu and Happy scream at the same time.

Lucy looks on in awe. "All that ice… How much magic power does something like that take?"

"That was one of Ur's best techniques…" Gray mumbled in nostalgia.

"Who's Ur?" Gazille asked.

Mira answers for him. "She was Gray's late sensei, and also a member of the Ten Wizard Saints."

"That was one of her best spells." Gray explains. "Erza's very lucky she didn't get stabbed." He commented.

"What would have happened?" Wendy asked curiously.

"The puncture wound would immediately freeze over and start spreading until she was just an icicle, then burst into a flower shape like those other spears did." He explained.

Levy's eyes widen. "But… Wait! Wouldn't Erza's high magic power counteract the freezing process?" She asked.

Gray nodded. "With even decent magic power, you can stop the frozen area from spreading. That's why there are so many spears in the technique, so that you get hit multiple times, allowing the spell's magic energy to overpower yours, then freeze you." He explained.

"Your old teacher rocked!" Natsu exclaims.

Gray just chuckled and looked back towards the fight.

**XxOn the FieldxX**

"Your skills are indeed admirable Erza Scarlet. I like you. Females need to be tough if you ask me." Eva says.

Erza smiles lightly after having caught her breath. "I've always thought along similar lines myself. You're a completely different case yourself honestly. The power of femininity AND youth? Amazing." She compliments back.

"Well, maybe not so much youth, but I like the thing I'm pretty badass for a girl." Eva responds.

"You're definitely tougher than most men I've ever met."

Eva chuckles. "I most certainly do like you. How about I train you for the upcoming tournament later?" She proposes.

"Absolutely not. You forget why we're having this fight. You need to prove that you're the strongest mage here to make me want you to teach me anything." Erza responds.

"Then I shall." Eva says before seemingly just vanishing.

Erza looks on in pure confusion. "How-"

She's cut off by a sharp pain in her gut. She looks down and sees a small cut with some blood. Erza swings forward hoping to hit something, but to no avail. She then feels a cut across her back.

"_Invisibility? Rediculous. I've never heard of such a spell."_

**XxWith SpectatorsxX**

"Invisibility? That's impossible!" Levy yells.

"Not exactly." Al responds.

She pouts at him. "Then how would it work?"

"Calm down, Levy-chan. It's not exactly Invisibility Magic per se, but Reflective Magic."

"Reflective Magic?" Lucy questions.

Al nods. "It lightly changes the composition of the area on or around your body. It has many different uses, and most high-level mages us it subconsciously." He explains.

"Subconsciously? How so?" Gray asks.

"The most common way is through magical barriers. Both Kitty and I have a mid-level reflective barrier on at all times. It's how Natsu-kun's fire magic didn't burn me."

"So that's how you did that! Cheater!" Natsu accused.

"Then how is Katherine using it?" Mira inquires.

"Some use Reflective Magic to block physical blows, deflect projectiles, or create illusions, but Kitty is reflecting the light around her. She's made herself transparent by bending the atmosphere. It's ingenious, but also strenuous."

**XxOn the FieldxX**

Erza narrowly dodges a phantom strike on instinct.

"_This is getting ridiculous. I can't see her, and I'm having trouble moving on this damn ice!" _Erza internally complains, before having a revelation of sorts.

"_Of course, the ice! I'll just get rid of it."_

Erza raises one of her swords to the sky and gathers a blinding orb of magical energy above the field.

"Sunburn!" She yells before the orb expands and sends massive amounts of heat around her, melting the ice.

**XxWith SpectatorsxX**

"Holy shit!" Gray exclaims.

"I know, right? That was an awesome spell. I didn't know she could do long range stuff like that!" Lucy cheers.

Gray shakes his head. "It's not that. The ice made by that spell's damn near unmeltable. If it freezes you, it's meant to keep you frozen, regardless of your strength. The fact that the ice melted at all means that the heat her spell sent out was ferocious. If the ice wasn't there, I'd bet she would've made that ground infertile for life." He explains.

"Truly hot indeed." Al concurs.

**XxOn the FieldxX **

Erza pants a bit before her armor reverts to normal. _"And that's about all the energy I could put into that armor…" _She thinks. _"But now…"_

She hears a small splash to her left. _"I CAN HEAR YOU!" _She turns in the direction of the noise and swings her basic sword. She's quite pleased to find a small amount of blood on the tip of the blade. She looks to her right to find a small arrow of ice forming, then fired at her. She cuts right through it with ease.

"This whole area is just one big marsh now. I can hear and see the splashes you make when you move, and your projectile spells aren't invisible like you. I can see you." Erza explains.

Eva's form comes into sight, showing a small cut on her shoulder that didn't bleed.

"Smart. Very smart. I'd like to say you're plenty strong for now, and that I'd like to start training you, but it's not that simple is it? You want me to beat you hands down in order to accept my tutelage." Eva says before spiking her magic power to staggering levels.

Erza breaks out into a heavy sweat.

"Do you know remember what my very first venture into magic was?" Eva asks, not letting up on the magical pressure.

Erza gulps, working up her voice. "Zeref's magic, I believe."

Eva grins before emitting a deep black glow. She takes an eerily familiar stance for most of the spectators.

It was the stance for the Abyss of Magic.

**XxWith SpectatorsxX**

Gray is absolutely freaking out. "IS SHE INSANE!" He all but screams.

Lucy is shivering. "That's… the… why does she?"

"She's really going to blow her cover to prove a point?" Mira asks.

"It was bound to happen eventually I guess." Gazille says, raising plenty of questions from the rest of the group.

"Cover?" Levy asks.

Ignoring her, Al speaks. "When you think about it, how else would you expect her to do it anyways? It's totally like her. Instead of just coming out and saying it, she needs to have some fun with the fact." He explains.

Gray nods. "So she's going to scare the living shit out of Erza for fun? I can see her doing that."

**XxOn the FieldxX**

Soon, the demons begin to form behind Eva, causing Erza to begin shivering.

"W-who… Are you?" She asks shakily. "And how do you know magic like Hades'?

Eva laughs loudly. "Purehito? He was weak. He was always better at different types of magic, and always sought peace, but fell to the darkness that is Zeref. You'll find plenty of sob stories around the world relating to Zeref, and his was just one of the more popular ones. Grimoire Heart was an attempt to gain control of the uncontrollable." Eva explained manically.

"THIS IS TRUE DARKNESS!" She creams before the demons begin to fire their endless barrage of dark lasers.

Erza pulls herself together, and remembers what happened with Hados.

"_The demons didn't use a single physical attack when Natsu got close. They're glorified turrets. Just move in, and quick!" _She told herself before diving forward and beginning to change armor.

"Tenrin no Yoroi!"

In a bright flash on light, plated armor covers her chest with a large metal flower over it, and she wears a long billowing skirt with metal plating in the upper area. Her stomach and upper chest are uncovered, and she has large metal wings that appear to be made out of blades, as well as a wing-like headpiece.

In mid-flight, she begins to summons dozens of swords in the air that collide with the endless dark blasts coming towards her. Soon, the number of swords begins to outnumber the number of dark projectiles. In a ridiculous burst of speed, Erza summons two swords for herself and then accelerates straight towards Eva, still in her stance. As she closes in, Erza calls her technique.

"Blumenblatt!"

And just like that, Erza is behind both Eva AND the demons, both of her swords in a post cut position. Just as Erza stops, all of the blades in the air behind her fly forwards and stab each demon behind her, dispelling them. Energy spent, Erza changes back to her basic armor.

**XxWith SpectatorsxX**

Everybody is just speechless, until Lucy jumps up and cheers. "She did it!"

"I'm impressed, we damn near shit ourselves the first time we faced that." Gray said.

"She's amazing…" Levy says in awe.

Al steps forward. "Indeed she is, but I think things are about to end here." He theorizes.

**XxOn the FieldxX**

Eva turns around and looks straight at Erza, who lay on one knee, panting.

"Incredible. Erza Scarlet, you are simply incredible." She honestly praises.

Catching her breath, Erza lets out her nagging question. "Who… Are you?"

"Evangeline Athenasia Katherine McDowell. Damn famous mage. You can call me Eva." She responds cheerily while extending a hand towards Erza.

Erza grins before accepting the help and standing up. "Legendary criminal? Dark mage of legend? Crazy little girl? I could care less really. Just don't harm the guild." She tells her.

Eva sighs in response. "That's the same damn response I get from everyone. 'Don't harm the guild'. You guys are like a broken record. But it doesn't matter. I like this record." She finishes with a grin. Erza is about to respond when Gildarts interrupts.

"Okay, that's enough. I mean, really? LOOK AT THIS DAMN FIELD!" He screamed.

And the contestants did just that. They didn't see much but rubble.

"I came to referee a spar, and what do I end up dodging from the sidelines? Demons. I need a drink." He says while rubbing his forehead.

"I'm going to go lay down for a bit. I'm beat." Erza says while walking away with a light smile.

"I'll get back to you about training." Eva calls to her. She's about to turn to meet with Gray when Gildarts grabs her shoulder.

"What?" She asks bluntly.

"I need to talk to you. In private." He says.

**XxThat One River I Like Making Scenes AtxX**

"So we're here. What do you want?" Eva asks him.

"Al said you could do something about my arm and leg. He didn't tell me what, but said you could." Gildarts told her.

Eva puts her hand to her chin in a contemplative gesture. "I can only think of one solution." She says.

Gildarts perks up at this. "You can do something?"

Eva nods. "Basically, I'm a vampire, right? So my magic power is quite unique. Giving you copious amounts of my magic power would, in theory, give you my regenerative abilities for as long as the energy courses through your system." She explains.

"And how do we do that?" He asks.

"There are two ways." She starts. "First off, I could make you a vampire, non-shinso. Being made from my blood would allow you to take my energy and heal like I do. There are some downsides to it though. You'd have blood hunger, unlike me, and you wouldn't have a long life like I do."

Gildarts didn't like the idea one bit. "Nope. I'm not becoming a vampire or anything like that. What's option number two?" He asks.

"We could use an ancient ritual that binds a mage to another person. Hundreds of years ago, mages weren't as physical as they are now. We were basically artillery, and defenseless at close range. To remedy this, the mage would form a magical contract with a warrior, feeding him/her their magical power, allowing them to defend the caster at close range. It's called Pactio, and I know the preparatory circle for it." She explains.

Gildarts was surprised. He'd never read THAT in any history book. "Sounds great. So, how does this work?" He wonders.

Eva motions him over to her. Once they're in front of each other, she forms the magic circle.

"Damn that's bright." Gildarts says. "What happens next?"

Without answering, Eva grabs him by the scruff of his shirt and pulls him down into a deep kiss. Wide-eyed, Gildarts just waits it out. Once the circle fades, their lips separate, allowing them both breath.

"And what the hell was that about!" Gildarts demands.

"Oh. I guess I forgot to tell you. The Pactio needs some sort of DNA transfer between the pact-makers. Kissing is the easiest way, so I just did that." She explained bluntly.

"Okay, but you could've warned me about it. Did it work?"

Eva nods before pointing to the ground. Gildarts looks down and sees a card with him on it, but with one subtle difference. He's wearing a big gold gauntlet over his right arm. He picks it up and examines it some more.

"That's the proof on the contract. Hold onto it, and meet me here tomorrow. We'll do the healing then, okay?"

Gildarts nods. "Sounds good to me. Thanks Eva. You heading back to the guild?"

"No, I'm going to go make my team. Without you and Gray, I'm two members short, but I'll be fine. Have a nice day." She says while walking away.

Gildarts just shakes his head as her form disappears over the top of the hill. _"Things haven't been this hectic in awhile. Heh…"_

**XxChapter EndxX**

**XxOMAKExX**

After the fallout of the fight, most of the guild went back to their usual business, leaving the questions about Eva for later. Cana though, is intensely scanning the room for something. Taking a swig of her drink, she slams it back down and sighs.

"Something wrong Cana?" Mira asks from behind the bar.

Cana turns to look at her. "You seen my dad?" She asks.

"Gildarts? Can't say I have." She responds.

"I think I saw him and Katherine heading down towards the river park a few minutes ago." Gray said from his table.

"_Her? Whatever." _Cana says to herself before getting up to go find him.

**XxTop of the HillxX**

Just as Cana is about to look down the hill to check for her father, she's hears a disturbing noise. Sort of like sucking…

"Mmmnn. Is this really the only way?" Her father's voice asks.

"Yeah, now shut up. You wanted this, right?" The voice who she presumed to be Katherine said before the sucking noise resumed.

"_No. Fucking. Way."_

"Yeah, but, ow! Watch the teeth!" He scolded.

"This is how I do it, okay?" She scolded.

"This is so…" Gildarts says before stopping.

"Heh, light-headed all ready? I don't have nearly enough yet. Besides, you taste pretty good." Eva said.

Cana built up the courage to look over the hill only to find Eva straddling Gildarts, her mouth attached to his neck.

"No… no… nononononono… NO!" She screams

Both Eva and Gildarts look up in surprise at the sudden outburst. Gildarts' face looses color. "Cana?" He asks bewildered. Eva quickly gets over it and goes back to work on his neck, sucking his blood and replacing it with hers.

"MY DAD'S A SHOTACON!" She screams before running away, crying.

"Darling, wait!" He yells before being cut off by Eva.

"Aaaand… Done. Congratulations. You are now Gildarts: S-Class Mage, Vampire, and Pedophile."

Gildarts sprouts anime tears before falling over and fainting.

**XxOMAKE ENDxX**

**Okey dokey then, I'm back! My single digit followers wait no longer! I made this chapter longer than ANY other to TRY and make up for my inactivity. I haven't been writing recently (I did make a small Yuri/Judith oneshot, with lemon, but that's it), and have finally gotten off my lazy ass to get back to my story. **

**My inspiration came back after reading the new Fairy Tail arc. There's obviously been more than one Great Magic Games tournament, so why not show the beginning? This way, I can introduce Ala Alba, Cosmo Enteleecheia, and my own incarnation of Raven Tail into the mix, as well as experimenting with some OC's. I hope you've enjoyed my comeback, and would like to leave on a few notes:I will no longer be doing a Spell Info section beyond basic translation. There's no point in boosting my word count with filler. I don't like it when other authors do, so why should I?**

**I'm going to start doing a few ecchi scenes in homage to Negima. Nothing sexual will ever happen, but I'm going to be highly suggestive for the sake of comedy (refer to omake), so prudes beware. **

**Gildarts will be the only character receiving a Pactio, and he won't be using it much. It was only a plot device to allow Gildarts to siphon Eva's magical energy, allowing him to regenerate. I might make a few more if you support the idea, but beyond that, he's it.**

**The following chapters will go through Eva's training regiments with each competing member. **

**Until next time!**

**Xeno out, peace.**

**XxSpell InfoxX**

Hime: "Princess"

Dame: "No/That's Bad/Stop"

Entei no Yoroi: "Flame Empress Armor"

Enha Houyokushou: "Blaze Supremacy Phoenix Wing Soar"

Tenketsu Arano: "Frozen Wasteland"

Tenrin no Yoroi: "Heaven's Wheel Armor"

Pactio: "Pact"


	11. Anti Alba

**XxChapter StartxX**

Both Fairy Tail A and B sat in a semicircle in front of Eva at the river park. Eva was making a speech of some sort.

"So, before we start getting ready for the tournament, we need to figure out who's most likely to meet us in the main competition. I, personally, have no doubt that both of our teams will make it to the main event. It's who we may be facing, and counter-measures for such opponents that we need to focus on. After pooling any of our knowledge on these guilds, we devise training regiments centered around strategies for each possible encounter. Any questions?" Eva asks her audience.

Natsu raises his hand. "Why do we need to do this? Lets just get stronger and kick ass when the time comes!" He exclaims.

"Because, dumbass, I read the applications list, and one of the guilds on the list is probably the strongest guild in Fiore." Eva responds.

Erza raises an eyebrow. "Really, who are they?"

Eva exhales heavily. "Ala Alba."

"Wait, that sounds a lot like Ala Rubra." Lucy points out.

"Because the guild master is the Thousand Master's son." Eva reveals.

Silence pervades the area before Mira speaks up.

"Are they that good?"

Eva nods. "I might as well tell you now. The boy, Negi Springfield, was my second apprentice."

"What?" Gray asks. "I didn't think you taught anybody after Ur!"

"As much as it pains me to admit it, I had quite the crush on Nagi back in the day. That boy looks so much like him, I couldn't help but get close. He's strong. Very strong." She explained.

"How strong?" Gazille asks excitedly.

"Our last fight ended undecided."

"You're kidding." Gray said.

Eva shakes her head. "I'm afraid not. He's ridiculously strong. Be thankful he's the guild master and can't participate."

"Then what's the problem?" Levy asks.

"I watched him and his guild mates practically grow up. I was around and loosely taught most of them on and off for seven years. I know most of their fighting styles like the back of my hand."

"Then who are most likely to enter?"

"Well, I thought about that, and brought my most recent guild report on them." She reveals, holding up a small notebook.

Natsu looks at her, puzzled. "You have a written report on them?"

Eva nods. "I was actually the guild's first master."

Everybody stops dead, gob smacked.

"You were a guild master? That makes no sense!" Mira speaks up.

"Yeah, weren't you in Paramecia for a long time?" Gray points out.

Eva nods. "Notice how I'm saying how powerful they are, yet you've never heard of them?" She asks.

She doesn't wait for an answer. "That's because they literally came to Fiore just a month ago. About a week after I showed up. I think they want to reinstate me as master in Negi's place."

Gray scoffs. "They must not truly understand how hard the government is on you. It's not that easy."

"Exactly. After most of them graduated from the Magic Academy, they thought about ways to stay together instead of going their separate ways to make money. Forming a guild seemed like the most prudent option, but at that point, Negi was weaker than Natsu is right now."

Erza could continue that thought. "And a non S-Class mage heading a guild was not a very good idea."

"And you were the strongest mage they knew at the time." Gray finished.

"Yep. I went ahead with it, and began training the majority of them for about five years. After Negi was good enough, I nominated him as the next master and left before the council found our guild. Fast forward three years, and here we are." Eva explained.

And at that point, the notebook goes around the room, with a few of Eva's personal thoughts added.

**XxPersonnel ReportxX**

**Guild Master****: **Negi Springfield.

**Rank****: **SS-Class

**Notable Skills****: **Extremely proficient in both Lighting and Wind magic, being able to use the former in conjunction with his Magia Erebea. Speed, stamina, and endurance are all off the charts, but is a bit lacking in sheer stopping power. Rate of growth is phenomenal, with new concepts being able to be absorbed shockingly quick. His artifact is a very rare type which allows him to utilize his attendants artifacts, which are quite numerous.

**Bio****: **Negi Springfield is indeed the son of the "Thousand Master" Nagi Springfield. His mother's identity is kept confidential for many reasons, so confidential in fact the boy himself doesn't know who she is. He graduated from the "National Paramecian Magic Academy" in record time, staying for higher degrees while also waiting for his friends to graduate. After starting the guild, his skills began to skyrocket, allowing him to reach SS-Class status before taking the position as Guild Master. For some reason or another, his guild is primarily female. And by primarily, I mean that there is only one other male besides himself in the guild.

**XxBreakxX**

"So that's your report on the kid?" Gildarts asks.

Eva nods. "That's Negi Springfield in a nutshell."

"Kid sounds like he's got his bases covered. Do you have any counter-measures for him?" Gazille inquires.

Eva ponders in thought for a moment. "Hm… I'd have to say that it depends on how serious he is."

"Well, says he's just in a fight with a high-level mage. What would he be doing?" Gazille asks.

"Negi tends to really rely on Magia Erebea for most of his offense, no matter how serious he is. At higher levels, it acts as a defense as well. The boy's only as strong in his Magia Erebea form as the spell he absorbed to activate it. The troublesome fact about that is that he tends to absorb Kilipl Atrape, the most powerful chanted lightning spell known. This initiates a whole boatload of trouble in the form of an original technique he calls 'Raisoku Shundō'." She explains.

"What's that?" Gray asks.

"To be honest, it's a pure speed technique. Normally, Kiliple Atrape is just one big explosion of electricity. It incinerates you, to put it bluntly. Him absorbing it through Magia Erebea alters its effects dramatically. With all that thunder magic coursing through him, he's just a big lightning rod waiting to explode. Mira?"

"Yes?"

"Pop quiz. How does the first step of Magia Erebea work?"

"Um… Using the chants you taught me, 'Stagnet', 'Complexio', and 'Supplementum, Pro Armationem', you absorb any type of spell and utilize it's magical energy as a physical boost." She explained.

Erza gains a questioning look. "So that's what you did? I didn't hear you chant any of those words during our spar, and I didn't see you absorb any spell."

"Well, that's the second stage of Magia Erebea actually. Once you absorb your first spell after learning the technique, your body starts to take in small amounts of residual energy from the spell you absorb every time you use it. You can draw upon that energy for a quick boost without all the chanting and whatnot. It doesn't last that long, and you have to build up more residual energy the conventional way before you can use it again."

Eva cuts in. "Exactly. Now, how does the third stage work?"

"Well, I can't use it yet, it's too difficult. But from what you told me, you alter your physical form to take on the characteristics of the spell you absorbed, rather than just calling upon it's energy. The facilitation process after absorbing the spell is hard to control, so I can only use stages one and two. I need more experience to be able to use my spells that way."

Levy gains a look of understanding. "So this Negi guy can turn himself into lightning then?"

Eva snaps her finger at her. "Close, but not exactly. Every time he calls upon the energy of Kilipl Astrape, he dashes forward and attacks at the speed of lightning. That's 10,000 kilometers per second if you didn't know. He'll stop after he hits you, dash to the side, then around you until he finds a different angle of attack. It's like watching a big yellow line fly around making sharp turns before striking you. You can't react to that."

Levy, still analyzing the technique as she hears it, speaks her thoughts. "So wait, he can't curve his movements? He has to keep dashing one direction at a time before moving towards you again? Why?"

"That's the first flaw of his technique. I brought it up before. I said each time he CALLS on the spells power he gains his super speed. He's actually continually activating the spell over and over again. He actually has to stop periodically to readjust his angle before activating the spell again to dash."

"How long does he stay still?" Natsu asks.

Eva looks at him. "The boy's reflexes are sharp, so he can adjust in about a second or so."

Gazille whistles. "That's not a lot of time to counterattack."

"Yeah, but there's more to it than that. The reason he has to halt his movements over and over again, moving only in a straight line, is because his mind can't keep up with his own speed. Once he chooses a direction to move, tunnel vision kicks in until he collides with something or stops the spell. The speed he moves at is so quick that he barely keeps his balance while moving. He has to use wind magic to keep himself straight. He creates a tunnel of wind ahead of his location, so when he activates the spell he stays upright while moving, as well as stay on track."

"So where does the counterattacking come in?" Lucy asks.

"Him having to stop frequently isn't really what creates the opportunity for a counter, it's when he reactivates the technique that he's vulnerable. Just like real lightning, a little flicker of electricity, a streamer, appears at his destination point right before he moves. With good eyes, you can see this, and then meet him head on with a fist. Also, with good senses, you can feel the slight wind change when he creates his tunnel, again pointing out where he's going to be, allowing you to strike back." She explained.

"Easier said than done." Lucy points out.

"Yeah, but when he gets serious, you can't win unless you have a high-level barrier type spell on at all times. He absorbs a second Kilipl Astrape on top of the one he already has, making himself permanently in his lightning form. No pauses, no wind magic, and no mental slowdowns. He calls that 'Raiten Taisō'. It's a devastating move that can't be intercepted conventionally. He even phases through any attack you land. It's brutal."

Gray, currently in possession of the notebook, notices something strange. "What's this about an 'Artifact'?"

"It's a magical item granted through a special bond between a mage and another individual. Gildarts has one you know." Eva explained.

The entire group looks straight at Gildarts. He squirms a bit, not exactly comfortable talking about the details of his Pactio.

Natsu speaks up first. "You have one? What's it do? Who's the mage you got it from? How do you get it?"

Erza hits him upside the head. "Calm down Natsu, I'm sure he'll explain."

Gathering some courage, Gildarts tells all. "Well, it takes the form of a card. You chant a spell and the card turns into an item, or Artifact."

"Can Juvia see it?" She asks, speaking up for the first time.

Reluctantly, he pulls out the card from under his cloak. He shows it to the group.

"So, there's a picture of you on it, and you're wearing a gauntlet?" Natsu observes.

"Yeah, every card in a 'Pactio' has a picture of the attendant and the weapon the card provides. My card turns into that gauntlet, so the picture on the card has me wearing it. It's the same for others from what I heard." Gildarts explains.

Erza puts a hand to her chin. "Who did you make the contract with?"

"Oh, it was me. Two days ago." Eva speaks up.

Silence pervades…

"So, why?" Lucy asks.

Eva grins widely. "Hey old man, take off the bandages."

Gildarts sighs and takes off his cloak, showing his bare upper body. His entire left arm is covered in bandages from the shoulder, including his hand. With one swift tear, they unravel wildly to show a pristine, new, completely flesh arm.

Natsu points at him shakily. "Your arm… It's back!"

"How did that happen?" Lucy asks disbelievingly.

"So, Al was right then. Hime COULD fix your arm." Gazille states.

Eva, having had enough fun with their varying expressions, decides to just explain. "Besides being granted an Artifact, the holder of the Pactio card, the Ministra, can siphon magical energy off of the mage he or she got it from, the Magister. This system was originally designed to give magical boosts to non-mages to help them protect the mage while casting. You all know the stories about me, right? Well, a damn good dose of my magic power did the job for his arm. His leg is fine too." She explained.

Gildarts pats his lower left abdomen. "We really can't check the inside safely, but we assume the kidney's back too. It was a hell of a patch-up. It really, really, REALLY hurt."

Mira gets closer to his arm and stares in awe. "Wow…" She says while poking it."

Gray gives Gildarts a sly grin. "So, how did she get you to agree to the Pactio ritual?" He asked.

"She didn't tell me. I didn't know how it worked until after it happened." He responded with a slight blush.

Levy catches their little exchange. "How does a Pactio get made?"

Gray, feeling damn near obligated to embarrass Gildarts, happily explains the process. "My sensei Ur had a Pactio with Eva-sensei as well. The two people involved have to undergo some sort of DNA transfer within a short period. The amount of DNA transferred determines the length the Pactio will last, and the power of the Artifact." He explained, then letting Eva take over once she silently requested it.

"The easiest and fastest way to do that is a kiss. Smooch and your done. There are others ways like blood transfusions, but those are complicated and time consuming."

Erza develops a slight blush. "So you two kissed to make the Pactio?" She asked.

Gildarts held up his hands defensively. "I didn't know how it worked. I was all psyched to get my limbs back, so I was distracted and compliant. She pulls me into the circle and kisses me. Over and done."

"Sure you're not just a pedophile?" Gazille taunts.

"I'll have you know that I've been with more grown women than you'll ever even meet, brat!" Gildarts retorts.

"That's not exactly a good thing…" Lucy says with a sweatdrop.

"So, if the amount of DNA transfer effects the strength of the Pactio, and a kiss is the easiest way, then Gildarts has a bottom of the barrel Artifact?" Levy theorizes.

Eva shakes her head. "Not exactly. The DNA transfer process just determines the level of bond between the Magister and the Ministra. If me and Gildarts made renewed our Pactio with a blood pact this time, his Artifact wouldn't change. It would just get a bit stronger. Also, the DNA transfer determines how long the contract is held. A kiss goes for about a year, then the card goes blank. I mean, seriously, the amount of DNA transfer from licking your lips after a kiss is ridiculously small. It's generally a good idea to use some tongue for good measure. Since the way to make a Pactio permanent is a bit personal, this way is generally called a 'provisional' contract."

"How do you make a permanent contract? Lots of blood?" Levy asks.

"You'd die of blood loss before you provided enough DNA to make the contract permanent. You can't do it over time either, it has to be all done right in the circle. The most concentrated source of DNA the body can produce is through ejaculatory fluids, and THAT'S why there are barely any full contracts. You got to be pretty damn serious to make the full pact. The Ministra though, in the case of a full contract, is many times stronger than a provisional one." Eva explained.

"I see what you mean. Does Negi-san have a full contract with the person he got his Artifact from?" Levy asked again.

"Nope. The boy's too damn timid to get a girlfriend. He barely even sees the girl he got the contract from. She's royalty, so she's not really around much."

"Royalty? Seriously?" Lucy asks.

"Queen Theodora Hellas III. It's a long story, but when you've got VIP heritage like the boy does, important people notice you."

"The Queen of Hellas is a mage?" Mira asks disbelievingly.

"Hellas? What's that?" Natsu asks.

Gray sighs. "You have no idea what goes on in this world outside of the guild, do you?"

"Wait, Theodora? You mean that hot black chick I saw on a communication lycrima once?" Gazille points out, getting a bop on the back of the head from Levy.

Eva nods. "Yeah, her. She's a pretty decent mage, but doesn't really take combat seriously. She's really just good at everything but excellent at nothing."

Getting back on topic, Erza inquires about Negi's Artifact further. "So how many Ministra does Negi have?"

"As of my last report, he has over fifteen, so he can use all of their Artifacts in combat. The mans a walking armory."

Levy pales. "Good thing he can't compete."

Eva nods. "Exactly. And because of that, we've been talking about him for too long. We're here to talk about who you may be fighting, and I've got a damn good idea about who Negi'll send out."

"Who? Are they strong?" Natsu asks.

Eva pauses to recall the names. "I would expect Miyazaki Nodoka for sure."

"Who's she, and what can she do?" Gray asks.

"Well, she's pretty shy and timid, but her skills are undeniable. She's actually very tiny, but she'll punch you harder than anything you've ever felt before." Eva explains.

Erza raises an eyebrow. "How does that work? Is it her magic?"

"Well, basically, she doesn't really know ANY spells. She can only do one thing, and that's use her Artifact. The problem is, her Artifact, Diarium Ejus, is probably one of the stronger ones in existence, even going back to the conception of Pactios." Eva answers.

"So that makes her punch harder?"

Eva shakes her head. "Nothing of the sort. It lets her read minds."

The rest of the group looks shocking while Erza raises an eyebrow at the revelation. "So she can hear our thoughts while we fight? Lovely."

Eva sighs and continues. "There are plenty of restrictions on her Artifact that make it able to be worked around, but she solved those on her own years ago. Her Artifact is just a book, and when she says someone's name, their thoughts appear on the page. That's enough to help out an ally, but one on one it's useless."

"So how did she get around that?" Wendy asked.

"She's actually a hardcore treasure hunter. She does everything from jewel stealing to grave robbing. She found an artifact (not the Pactio kind) that most would find useless, but used it to almost completely eliminate her weaknesses."

Wendy tilted her head slightly. "So what did it do?"

Eva chuckled a bit. "It's so simple. It reads words to you."

"I don't get it." Natsu says.

Levy seemed to have a revelation of sorts. "So, she has to book read someone's mind, and she can set it aside while the item she has reads the words to her, which are the enemies thoughts!"

"Pretty much. So, she's a telepath, and that makes her very dangerous."

Natsu raises his hand like a child. "So, if she's like a bookworm and stuff, why does she punch really hard?"

Eva sighs. "Because, with only one item to send her magic power to, she has a shit-ton left over. Almost all of her magic power is unused because she doesn't know any spells. So what does she do? She sends ALL of her magic energy into marionette magic."

"What's that?" Natsu asks.

"Oh! Juvia knows! It means that because she's so weak, she uses magic to force her body to move!"

"And because every last bit of her magic goes towards that purpose, she hits really, really hard." Erza finishes.

Eva nods. "So that's why I want to designate one of you to fight her if a one on one situation arises."

"So who fights her?" Mira asks.

Eva points at Lucy, to her surprise. "She does. With your spirits on the floor, her mind reading will be a lot less effective. You're ideal."

Lucy takes her praise with a blush.

"In the event of my team facing her… You." She says, this time pointing at Gazille. "You really move off of instinct in a lot of situations, and when it comes down to it, you may be able to empty your thoughts enough to make her slip up. It also helps that you're pretty stupid."

Gazille growls lowly, but doesn't press the issue.

"Who's next?" Lucy asks.

Eva thinks for a few seconds until finding making a decision. "Sakurazaki Setsuna I would expect as well. She's a swordsman of the highest caliber. She's damn good at what she does. She uses a style known as 'Shinmeiryū'. It's a demon exorcizing art."

Erza smiles. "I assume I'm her match?"

"Definitely. Steel against steel sounds good, and in the event of my team, we'll just have to make due with iron."

Gazille grins again, liking his value to the team.

Eva, having received her report, skims a few pages before putting it down. "Tatsumiya Mana, probably. She's a marksman that has a cold attitude. She was always into some shaky stuff before joining the guild, so she won't hesitate to be brutal. She could own Alzack and Bisca at the same time with a pea shooter."

Paling at this information, the group wonders who will suffer the fate of facing her.

"Gray, you're up for this one." She reveals.

Gray points at himself. "Me? Seriously?"

"I believe that being able to make ice shields will be beyond vital when facing her at a distance. She's much better with rifles than pistols, so getting close will lower her threat level slightly. If you find your self outside close range, being able to block her sniper rifle is vital."

Gray nods in return.

Eva turns to Gildarts. "What's the situation on the recall of that Laxus kid?"

Gildarts gives her a thumbs up. "Kid'll be back in a few days. He was a bit bummed about having to abandon his first Ten Years Quest, but the idea of the tournament lightened his mood instantly." He explained to her.

Natsu does a spit-take. "Wait-wait-wait-wait-WAIT! You mean Laxus is going to be on your team too!" He asks disbelievingly.

"I hear the kid's good, and my team is one member short. Why the hell not?" She says with a grin before redirecting her attention back to Gildarts. "You sure the kid's as good as you say?"

Gazille answers her instead. "He's a bonafide monster. He could take Fairy Tail A by himself to a draw at least."

Eva whistles. "I'll take your word for it. If that's true, he's got Mana AND Yue."

"Who's Yue?" Wendy asks.

"She's Negi's direct apprentice. She doesn't know Magia Erebea because the boy's not allowed to teach it, but everything else about him she knows. Her basics kill, and her lightning magic is fucking beastly. She's probably the third strongest mage in the guild not counting Negi. That sounds only moderately impressive, but there are close to a dozen S-Class mages in that guild, and she's near the top."

Natsu jumps up and down a bit. "Who are numbers one and two?" He asks excitedly.

"Kagurazaka Asuna and Inugami Kōtarō. But Asuna won't be competing."

"Why not?" Erza asks.

"For reasons I can't tell you, she's not allowed near too much combat. A tournament situation is out of the question. That's that, and there's nothing anyone can do about it, so forget about her. Kōtarō, on the other hand, we need to talk about him."

Gray raises an eyebrow at her concern. "He's the strongest then? Besides Negi of course."

"He is. He's a close range fighter with skills even Mira would have trouble with, IN Magia Erebea. I can't handle him at all. Ranged spells help, or high endurance works too. If you challenge him to a slugfest, he won't back down until one of you drop. That's why Natsu or Gazille gets him."

"What's his magic type?" Gazille asks.

"He's a true master of Take Over magic. His wolf form is amazing to see in action. Supplement that with a few dark spells and wolf summonings and you got one beast of a mage."

Taking in the information, the group wait's a few moments before Natsu raises his hand like a child. "So, how are we training?" He asks.

Eva grins. "Okay, for you, I have you set up to spend a few weeks with me and the rest with Gildarts. I'll be teaching you some long range spells to help your range problems, and Gildarts will work with everything you already know. We'll be upping your pure speed and power along with extending your range."

Eva turns towards Gazille. "You'll be getting the EXACT same thing, and don't you even DARE complain about joint training with Natsu. UNDERSTOOD?"

Gazille turns away and pouts.

"Gray and Mira get the most one on one time with me. I'll be upping Gray's ice abilities and trying to get Mira into the third stage of Magia Erebea."

Lucy's turn. "You'll be working with the Jii-san himself to increase your magic capacity. If you can have three spirits out at once, you'll be S-Class immediately. Being able to cast Urano Meteoria without fainting helps as well."

Wendy and Erza next. "Now, it's time for some outsourcing. Wendy spends the majority of her time with Porlyusica, and Erza gets some special attention."

"What kind?" She asks, mildly excited.

"I'm sending you south to Eishun's dojo. You'll be learning from one of the greatest swordsman in existence, and he'll help you with countering Setsuna's style."

"Now for Juvia. To be honest, I really didn't know what to do with you, but Al assured me he would take care of you. Be thankful, he's a great mage once you get past his personality."

Eva claps a few times. "We've got a long few months ahead of us. You guys ready for this!"

**XxChapter EndxX**

**Lots of filler, but important information on Ala Alba and what will be happening in the future for Fairy Tail. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, cause major training is up next!**

**Xeno out, peace.**


	12. Sorcerer's Weekly Pre Tournament Report

"HEEEEEEY! Man, you won't believe it! I got hooked UP! I'm looking at the accepted guilds list for the Great Magic Games! Cool! Team rosters and everything! But fear not, you without this cool info! I, Jason, present to you, a pre-tournament roster evaluation! The big guilds this time around are Fairy Tail and Ala Alba. Let's take a look!"

**Fairy Tail A****: **It's time for the number one guild in Fiore to strut it's stuff! Mages like Natsu and Erza are a force to be reckoned with, and lets not forget Gray and Lucy! These cool folks are here to play for keeps!

**Natsu Dragneel****: **This guy is cool! The stories about the Salamander of Fairy Tail are no myth, and he's ready to bring the heat! I get all fired up just thinking about him! COOL!

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **3

**Speed: **4

**Intelligence: **2

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 4.2**

**Lucy Heartphilia****: **One of Fairy Tail's poster girls, she's a spirit mage in possession of TEN of the Zodiac Gates. She's got the skills to bring out more than one at a time too! Cool! She received a bit of training from Hibiki Laytis of Blue Pegasus as well? Is there a secret relationship going on?

**Offense: **4

**Defense: **2

**Speed: **3

**Intelligence: **5

**Stamina: **4

**Rating: 3.6**

**Gray Fullbuster****: **This ice mage may have some trouble keeping his clothes on, but he doesn't need them to kick ass. His offensive skills have jumped over the last few months and his ice-cool defenses are as tough as ever.

**Offense: **5

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **3

**Intelligence: **4

**Stamina: **4

**Rating: 4.4**

**Erza Scarlet****: **This cool woman is one of the most well rounded mages around. All her swords and armors make her an extremely versatile foe, and every team should keep and eye on her. Her skills are for real, and I've yet to get a letter back on that modeling request… Not cool…

**Offense: **5

**Defense: **5

**Speed: **5

**Intelligence: **5

**Stamina: **5

**Rating: 5 (Cool!)**

**Wendy Marvel****: **Being the third and final Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail, Wendy has big shoes to fill. Offensively, she doesn't have much to offer, but her support magic is beyond cool! As a user of two different lost magic's, she could be the X-factor for Fairy Tail A.

**Offense: **2

**Defense: **3

**Speed: **2

**Intelligence: **5

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 3.4**

**OVERALL RATING****: 4.1**

**Fairy Tail B****: **This team is looking to be a killer for the title! Fairy Tail entered two teams, and these guys are the best of the best! I'm a big fan of Natsu and Erza, but they've got their work cut out with this S-Rank mash-up. Cool!

**Katherine****: **This young girl is the newest member of the guild, and over the past three months, she's completed like, ten SS-Rank jobs! Cool! Not much is known about her other than her primary skill she calls Magia Erebea. It's a cool technique she taught to Mirajane, and it takes her above and beyond! She's turned out to be a major contender for the top mage in Fiore! Where did she even come from?

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **5

**Intelligence: **Cool!

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 5.8 (Cool!)**

**Mirajane Strauss****: **Straight out of retirement, Mirajane is back with the big league's. Cool! She learned Magia Erebea from Katherine, and she's definitely here to party! Now that she's ditched her Take Over magic, her new fighting style is yet to be seen. Will she show off the skills and brutality that made her known as the "Demon" back in the day? Or will she turn out to be only a shadow of her former self? It'll be so cool to find out!

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **5

**Speed: **5

**Intelligence: **4

**Stamina: **3

**Rating: 4.6 (Cool!)**

**Laxus Dreyar****: **Makarov's grandson is one cool dude. He's the most veteran S-Class mage is Fairy Tail besides Gildarts, and he's fighting his way to the undocumented "SS" rank. With that goal in mind, he's taken on the toughest jobs he could find, and he's back in town just to show us what he's made of! Lightning will definitely strike twice in this tournament. Cool!

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **Cool!

**Intelligence: **3

**Stamina: **5

**Rating: 5.2 (Cool!)**

**Gazille Redfox****: **This Dragon Slayer's cooled down since his Phantom days, but don't think his skills went with his temper! Metal scales and sword arms abound, this guy doesn't mess around!

**Offense: **4

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **4

**Intelligence: **2

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 4.4**

**Juvia Loxar****: **Another S-Class mage from Phantom Lord, Juvia has also adjusted well to Fairy Tail. Her skills with her water magic make her almost impossible to hit reliably, and she can be quite serious with Gray Fullbuster on the line.

**Offense: **4

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **3

**Intelligence: **3

**Stamina: **4

**Rating: 4**

**Gildarts Clive****: **Gildarts was just approved as a reserve member for Fairy Tail B. Cool right? This man is commonly referred to as the strongest mage in Fairy Tail, and another contender for the top mage in Fiore! He's getting old, but he's tangled with dragons and lived! Other teams can only hope that he'll never need to be called on, cause he's a game changer.

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **5

**Speed: **4

**Intelligence: **5

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 5.2 (Cool!)**

**OVERALL RATING****: 4.8**

**Ala Alba****: **Fresh from Paramecia, we've got a fan favorite ready to tear things up! Negi Springfield can't compete, but don't think the rest are week. My cousin in Paramecia gave me the low down on how these guys work, and was nice enough to write a column!

**Inugami Kotaro****: **This guy is probably the biggest X-factor in this tournament. He's a beastly Take Over mage (get it?) with a point to prove. He's the strongest guy in the guild besides Negi, and he doesn't mind showing off every now and then. He's a bit hard-headed, but his battle smarts are second to none! Book smarts? Yeah, lets not go there.

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **4

**Speed: **5

**Intelligence: **4?

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 5 (Cool!)**

**Tatsumiya Mana****: **This is one brutal chick. Don't let the calm demeanor fool you, she means business. She'll do just about anything for money, even if its illegal. With this kind of prize money on the line, you can guarantee she's as serious as she's ever been. Her gun slinging skills are for real, and I don't see her missing for the duration of the games.

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **3

**Speed: **4

**Intelligence: **5

**Stamina: **4

**Rating: 4.4**

**Sakurazaki Setsuna****: **A notable master of the Shinmeiryu sword arte, Setsuna is a swordsman on the level of Erza Scarlet and Mikazuchi Kagura! She's quick, precise, and ready to throw down. Question is, are her opponents?

**Offense: **5

**Defense: **4

**Speed: **Cool!

**Intelligence: **4

**Stamina: **4

**Rating: 4.6 (Cool!)**

**Miyazaki Nodoka****: **Probably one of the most unique mages you'll ever find, Nodoka generally knows what you're doing before you even do it. With her magical augmentation skills ready to counter appropriately, speed and instinct are needed to even compete with this mage.

**Offense: **4

**Defense: **4*

**Speed: **4

**Intelligence: **Cool!

**Stamina: **4

**Rating: 4.4**

*Takes into account Diarium Ejus

**Ayase Yue****: **The direct apprentice of Negi Springfield himself, her skills in lightning magic are dang close to his! With her magical knowledge being off the charts, her strategy making is second to none. You better be able to improvise if you want a chance at taking this mage down.

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **3

**Speed:** 4

**Intelligence: **Cool!

**Stamina: **4

**Rating: 4.6 (Cool!)**

**OVERALL RATING****: 4.6**

"Other teams are looking good for the title, like Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel, but only time will tell. This is your very own Jason signing out, and hoping you enjoyed this cool look into two of the toughest guilds in this contest.

**BONUS RATINGS!**

**Negi Springfield**

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **Cool!

**Intelligence: **5

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 5.8 (Cool!)**

**Albireo Imma**

**Offense: **5

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **5

**Intelligence: **Cool!

**Stamina: **4

**Rating: 5.2 (Cool!)**

**Jack Rakan**

**Offense: **Cool!

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **Cool!

**Intelligence: **4

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 5.6 (Cool!)**

**Takahata T. Takamichi**

**Offense: **5

**Defense: **3

**Speed: **Cool!

**Intelligence: **Cool!

**Stamina: **5

**Rating: 5 (Cool!)**

**Kagurazaka Asuna**

**Offense: **5

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed:** 3

**Intelligence: **4

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 4.8 (Cool!)**

**Fate Averruncus (Tertium)**

**Offense: **5

**Defense: **Cool!

**Speed: **5

**Intelligence: **5

**Stamina: **Cool!

**Rating: 5.4 (Cool!)**

**Bacchus**

**Offense: **5

**Defense: **5

**Speed: **5

**Intelligence: **4

**Stamina: **5

**Rating: 4.8 (Cool!)**


	13. Training Days

**XxChapter StartxX **

*BOOM!*

A cloud of smoke permeated the area. Movement can be seen until finally Natsu's form emerged from the explosion site. His body housed quite a few injuries. His vest and scarf were completely gone, showing the many gashes and scrapes across his upper body.

"Shit… Gazille, support!" Natsu yelled.

About thirty feet to Natsu's left, the man in question grinned. "Comin' right up!" He yells as he gathers magic energy in his right hand. He didn't look much better than Natsu.

Just then, as the smoke finally cleared, Eva could be seen standing with a smug look plastered onto her face. She looked no worse for wear. Noticing Gazille's action, she turns towards him and dashes forward at high speed, only to be cut off by Natsu appearing in front of her using a makeshift Shundō of sorts.

"Karyū no Tekken!" He yelled as his flame covered fist flew toward Eva's face.

With a lazy wave of her left hand, Eva caught the punch, extinguishing the fire at the same time, much to Natsu's amazement. She quickly followed up with a strong kick to the gut, sending the Dragon Slayer to the floor. As Natsu fell backwards, Gazille is revealed, and his grin gave Eva just enough time to notice the spell circle beneath her.

"Stalagmite!"

Natsu rose his head forward just in time to see as a massive pillar of rock and gravel spiked upwards from below Eva's position. After a tense few seconds, during which both Natsu and Gazille paid rapt attention to the collision site, the pillar exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere. Eva stood and dusted herself off before she looked at the two with a small smirk. With a nearly simultaneous growl, both Natsu and Gazille charged at Eva, engaging her in close combat. In an amazing exchange of offense and defense, Eva holded off both Dragon Slayers effortlessly. Gazille jumped backwards, leaving Natsu to face Eva solo before he swung his arm at her.

"Tetsuryūken!"

Natsu jumped back to avoid Gazille's sword arm as it headed towards Eva. Without even looking at it, she rose her right hand and caught the blade with her bare hand. She turned her head and took in his shocked face. She very much enjoyed the sight. Tightening her grip around the sword, Eva swung Gazille to the left, smashing him into Natsu. Both of them stood back up and exchanged a few words before Gazille reengaged Eva in close combat. Back at their original location, a spell circle formed around Natsu as he chanted.

"I hate this spell chanting shit! How did it go… How did it go?" He mumbled to himself.

"Oi! Salamander! A little HELP PLEASE!" Gazille screamed after taking a deep cut across the chest from Eva's fingers.

"Shit. Here goes nothing…."

"Homura, so wa kuchihatenu eigō no myakudō! Fudōnaru ishi wa kono mune ni! Jōen!" He chanted as two orbs of fire appeared above his position.

"Blazing Hearts!" He finished as the two orbs sped towards Eva quickly.

"Tetsuryūkon!" Planting his fist into the ground, Gazille extended his arm to propel himself in to the air right before the massive balls of flame collided with Eva. As they made contact, they spread across the ground, creating a fiery cross that burned intensely. As Gazille landed right next to Natsu, the two shared a small grin, which promptly disappeared at the sound of Eva's voice coming from the still raging inferno.

"Tenkō mitsuru tokoro warewa ari. Yomi no mon, hiraku tokoro ni nanji ari." She chanted as a massive blue spell circle appeared below the two Dragon Slayers.

"Ideyo, Kami no Ikazuchi!" Pillars of blue light began to sprout from the circle, creating an elaborate tower-like magical structure. At the top, lightning began to crackle. Eva then steped out of the inferno with her arm raised high.

"It's over, mutts." Eva declared before swinging her arm downwards.

"Indignation!"

At that instant, a massive bolt of blue lightning pierced through the center of the tower from above, colliding with Natsu and Gazille. The explosion that rocked the open field was massive, and the tremors were just as intense. Eva sighed at the sight.

"_That's it? I mean, __Indignation__ is overkill in all but the most dire situations, but still. Natsu and Gazille showed the ability to cast the Japanese-based chanted spells I taught them, but should I hand them off to Gildarts like this?" _Eva is brought out of her musings by a massive burst of magical energy within the crash site of her thunderbolt.

"Mode: Raienryū." The first figure she's saw was Natsu's, having drawn upon Laxus' power.

"Mode: Dragon Force." She then saw Gazille in his fully scaled Iron Dragon form.

Eva laughed a bit at the sight. "So the mutts are getting serious then? Maybe I'll break a sweat this time!"

Internally, though, Eva was sweating. _"Okay then… This'll be fun. Natsu has enough firepower to actually hurt me in that form, and I'll need to use some chanted spells to even scratch Gazille's skin. So how should I go about this? I used a ton of magic power for __Indignation__, so regeneration isn't going to be easy for awhile. I need to not get hit for the most part. Problem is, they've obviously thrown all caution to the wind seeing as this was just supposed to be a test of how well they can use chanted spells. I must've hurt their pride more than I meant to…" _

"You guys serious?" She decided to ask.

Rather than an answer, Gazille jumped into the air. He clamped his legs together and started to spin like a drill.

"Metsuryū Ougi: Gōma Tetsu Rasen!" He screamed before the drill of doom sped towards Eva.

Just as Eva was about to start casting in response, Natsu's voice was heard.

"Raienryū no Dai Hōkō!" He called as a bigger than usual beam of fire and lightning headed towards her.

Eva noticed something just then. _"He's going to hit Gazille! What's that idiot doing!"_

As the beam collided with Gazille, instead of being disintegrated, the magic energy started to swirl with Gazille's drill.

Gazille decided to explain from within the drill of lightning and fire.

"Unison Raid: Raienryū no Rasenken!"

With a look of panic on her face, Eva held out her right hand and gathered magic energy into it. The mark of Magia Erebea appears as she chanted .

"Emissa Stagnet!" She yelled as a ball of concentrated ice magic appears over her palm. As the spiraling comet is just about to hit Eva, you hear her last words.

"Complexio!"

***Epically Massive Explosion of Epically Massive Proportions Creates Epically Massive Carnage on an Epically Massive Scale Leaving an Epically Massive Crater* (LOL)**

Gazille let the drill go for a few more seconds, clearing out the dust. He whistled at his handiwork before something crazy happened. The air started to chill, the ground started to freeze, and pillars of ice rose in random places around the area.

"Krustalline Basileia." Eva's voice echoed. Then, he saw nothing but black.

Natsu stared at Gazille's frozen form. He couldn't believe it. Standing right in front of Gazille was Eva, glowing light blue, her body seemingly made of ice. Behind her was a large ice dial with many protrusions, centered between her shoulder blades. He blinked, and then there was no Eva. The blackness claimed him as well. Eva took a deep breath before calming down. The ice dial behind her shattered and her body returned to normal.

**XxBreakxX**

Natsu and Gazille sat cross legged in front of Eva, both donning a pathetic pout. They refused to look her in the eye.

"You forced me to use Magia Erebea. Pretty good for mutts, but not enough to even get close to beating me. 'Queen of Ice' was plenty enough to end this quickly. Forcing me to use 'Frigus Incarnatio de Tonitrui', now that would be something else. Now then, on a side note…" She paused before turning around and pointing to the crater that USED to be the river park.

"LOOK AT WHAT THE FUCK YOU DID!"

Natsu and Gazille flinched at her tone.

"You completely destroyed a heavily trafficked section of Magnolia. During a TEST. Not an all out war with me, but a test. You both know I can kick your asses, so why throw a temper tantrum every time it happens? While I WAS surprised that you worked together, you still shamed the guild. Magnolia is our city, and we take jobs to help finance and protect it, not destroy it.. I haven't been here nearly as long as you and I know that."

Eva gave them a stern look. "Now what do you assholes say?"

Finally meeting her gaze, they answered simultaneously.

"Sorry Eva-sensei."

"Damn right you are. Now get the hell out of here, clean up, and meet me here tomorrow for your last day of training. We still have a few things to go over before I hand you off to Gildarts." She explained.

As the two comply with a grumble, Eva added one last thing. "Wendy is not to heal any of your wounds, understood?"

They gaped at her before deciding to go HOME rather than the guild, where Wendy most likely was. With their forms out of sight, a member of the unknown audience decided to make himself known.

"Man… That sure was something else. I don't know how much I'll actually be able to teach them honestly. We'll probably just beat the shit out of each other for three weeks." Gildarts said as he revealed himself.

Eva shrugged at the man. "It makes no difference to me. They both showed acceptable aptitude in casting chanted spells, and that's all I offered to teach them. If you didn't know, I actually have two apprentices that haven't had ANY one on one time with me yet. I did what I said I'd do, and now it's your turn to deal with the retards." She explained.

Gildarts rubbed the back of his head. "I know, I know, it's just… I feel like the next generation's gonna' pass me by soon enough. I mean, look at this park. I'd be hard pressed to do something like this. The boys are good, and they'll only get better as time passes. I think this tournament is a good way for them to see how they stand among the new generation."

Eva chuckled lightly. "I concur. I don't expect them to beat anybody from Ala Alba, but the other guilds… They might give them the competition they need to gain back some of their lost pride. I think that I've been a bit hard on them lately, and they're getting tired of losing. I mean, look at the park. They need to cool down some, 'cause it's starting to piss me off."

"They're only eighteen you know. They're still maturing, some temper issues are bound to pop up here and there. I sure as hell wasn't as tame as I am now at their age."

"I guess." Eva said with a sigh. "I was forced to grow up fast. My first kill happened when I was ten, and these boys haven't killed anyone."

Gildarts couldn't hold back a frown at the statement. "They shouldn't have to kill anyone." He argued.

"Too bad. I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of Kosmo Entelecheia, and the Averruncus units are going to fight to kill US."

Gildarts' sad look turned to a confused one. "But aren't they dolls? There should be no problem shutting them down."

Eva shook her head at him. "You're incorrect. They look too human for these kids to feel okay about destroying them. While technically correct, you fail to take their subconscious into account."

"If it comes down to it, I'll take them out myself." Gildarts assured her.

Eva could only laugh in response. She still had a sinking feeling about the tournament she just couldn't figure out…

**XxBreakxX**

In what looked like a traditional Japanese dojo, a loud, clap-like noise could be heard periodically. The building was empty for the most part, but the source of the sound was on the practice stage.

"Ugh!" A feminine voiced grunted as she collided with the floor.

"Again!" A strong male voiced commanded.

Another slam.

"Again!" The man ordered once again.

The woman hit the floor again.

"Okay, Erza, break time." The man said this time, voice decidedly calmer.

Erza shakily stood up, using her boken as a cane. "Yes, sensei." As she stood up, she was revealed to be in a regular white karate gi. Bruises adorned her face, and blood leaked from a cut above her left eye.

"Sensei" was a middle-aged man with a weak look and glasses. "You've improved remarkable over the course of just a week. I'm honestly surprised. You still lack finesse, though." He explained to her.

Taking a swig from a water bottle, Erza took a deep breath before she answered. "I'm more of a speed fighter. Fencing isn't my strong point, especially against a style like Shinmei-ryu."

"Well, if you are indeed facing Setsuna-kun in a few months, you need to lose that mentality. Our style works wonders at close range, and without proper training, you won't get many hits in."

"You know," Erza started. "I was honestly unsure of how things would work out when Katherine said she was sending me to train with Konoe Eishun. I can now say I'm pleasantly surprised."

A dry chuckle escaped Eishun's lips. "She's really up in arms about this tournament. I was surprised enough to hear she was back in Fiore, and then I find out she's teaching again? It was shocking, to say the least."

"She's certainly not what I expected the Dark Evangel to be like. She seems more… lonely, than violent."

Eishun nodded grimly. "She was never really accepted by anybody. Nagi was nice to her, but it took hundreds of years for her to meet him. You kids at Fairy Tail must be something special to get her to open up like this."

"Well, she hasn't really opened up at all. She just trusts the guild to know her true identity. The only one that really knows anything about her personally beyond her sadistic tendencies is Gray."

Eishun got a bit curious. "And who is this Gray, and why did she talk to him."

"That's the thing. He won't tell us either. It's annoying, but he's definitely met her before she came to the guild. I'm at least sure of that." Erza explained.

"I'd like to meet him sometime. Perhaps I'll come to the tournament for observation. If Setsuna-kun is there, then my daughter will as well."

Erza looked at him in slight surprise. "You have a daughter in Ala Alba?"

"Yes, my little girl's name is Konoka. I haven't seen her in three years. I guess it's time to pay her a visit." He explained before looking at the clock. "Okay, break's over. We have at least 45 minutes until dark. We'll go a few more times then have you treated and prepared for dinner."

"Yes, sensei."

Erza's grunts of pain could be heard for the next hour…

**XxBreakxX**

Currently, in the forest outside of Magnolia Town, Wendy and Porlyusica sat around a dead rabbit.

"Um… Grandine, what am I supposed to-"

"Don't call me that! I gave you Grandine's notes and told you my story, but I'm not the dragon, okay?" The pink-haired medic scolded.

"Gomen…" Wendy said sadly. "Ano… Why are we here?"

Porlyusica pointed at the rabbit. "Fix it."

"Um… It's dead."

"I don't care. Fix it."

"But, I…"

"What was written on page 14 of Grandine's healing notes?"

Wendy thought on it for a moment. "Umm… The only way to revive a dead person is if the wounds that caused death are something that I could fix if they were alive, and if I use enough magic power during the healing to supersede the patients max reserves."

"Exactly. So, in laymans terms, it the subject died of blood loss or a disease, you can revive them by healing all cosmetic wounds and replenishing their magic power. You definitely have more magic power than the rabbit, so heal it."

As Wendy went to work, Porlyusica was left to her thoughts. _"I doctored that page. Dead things can't come back to life. But, if my hunch is correct…"_

The rabbit's foot kicked.

"_Then we have some work to do…" _

**XxBreakxX**

"Very good, Juvia-chan!" Al's chiding voice exclaimed.

"Juvia thanks you." She responded.

He clapped and gave her a smile. Not the Al Grin™, but a smile. "I knew I hadn't made a mistake when I took you in." He said, gesturing to a completely decimated forest.

"These chanted spells you all know, they're amazing. These kind of things have never been in Fiore, so it's really exciting to see and use!" She said excitedly.

Al then went into lecture mode. Al was, at his core, a complete academic. He could fight, that was for certain, but it was the theories he crafted that allowed that prowess. He taught not just in the practical sense, but in the literary as well.

"Chanted spells are the oldest form of magic. Gathering magic power through a chant was the only way olden mages could perform spells. There were plenty of obvious issues with that, but they were mostly remedied by the Pactio system. When that style fell out of practice, non-chanted spells were something all mages strived to achieve. But, chanted spells still have merit in the new world of mages." He explained. "As spell chants became less common over the years, there was a large tradeoff for this new combat style. The pure firepower of non-chanted spells could never compare to that which a convention spell could produce. Longer chant, bigger bang."

Juvia nodded, obviously understanding the concept.

"Today," Al started. "I'm going to teach you the first step in what I call a 'Spell Chain'."

"Spell… Chain?"

He nodded. "A Spell Chain is basically a tiered spell. They have a step one, and a step two. They are essentially two different spells, but the initial is easier, and lays the groundwork for the next, more advanced spell."

Al then walked over to one of the only standing boulder's in the field. Juvia's training with her Water Slicer had been going well. She could use both hands at once, and also had much more precision at this point. With the help of Al's anatomy lessons, she could aim for certain muscles if she needed to.

"The chain I'm going to teach you starts with the spell Champagne. It's a beginner tier water spell that is mainly a short-term distraction skill. It's chain leads into the spell Aqua Laser, a very unique projectile attack. Let's get started, shall we?" Al suggested.

**XxBreakxX**

"Finally!" Gray said to Eva, who was currently sitting across from him in their apartment. Mira was there as well. "The very day you showed up, you promised me you'd start training me. It's been over two months since then!"

Eva sighed in response. "I know, I know. Things have just been complicated. I didn't really think I'd grow attacked to anybody in the guild. I thought it would be just me and you. Now look at me. I've taught Mira Magia Erebea and help the mutts learn chanted spells. I'll admit, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I like this guild." She explained.

"It's a great place!" Mira said happily. "I'm glad you showed up though, it's been great to feel useful again after so long."

"Okay then, it's getting late, and I told you what I wanted to tell you. Meet me at where I taught Mira Magia Erebea. Mira can tell you where it's at." Eva instructed.

"Why not the river park? That's where we usually go." Gray pointed out.

Eva gave him an annoyed look. "It's gone. The mutt's blew it up yesterday."

"You're kidding…" Mira said with exasperation. She was the one who was going to have to explain it to the mayor…

**XxBreakxX**

"Okay kids, it's time to rock." Gildarts told his new pupils, beckoning them to attack him. They looked to have been at it for a while, as the Dragon Slayers seemed a bit worn out and injured. Gazille took the bait first.

"Tetsuryūsō: Kishin!" Gazille yelled at he fired a decent amount of iron spears at Gildarts.

Gildarts simply held his hand out while channeling magic energy. "Punkai." He said as the spears seemed to just disassemble in midair, turning into iron blocks that fell to the floor. He then quickly turned around to intercept Natsu, who was trying to get the jump on him during Gazille's attack. "Crash." This time, a massive blast of Gildarts' concentrated magic power barreled straight into Natsu, sending him flying into a nearby rock. Not content to stay still for long, he turned right back around and ducked under Gazille's iron sword. He lightly placed his palm on the sword. "Punkai." He said once more, disassembling the sword into more iron blocks that fell to the earth. Pushing his opening, he dove low towards Gazille and blasted him away in a manner similar to how he dealt with Natsu.

**XxA few bandages later…xX**

"Okay kids, you need to learn some form." Gildarts concluded.

"But Rin said that we should be fighting off instinct like always!" Natsu argued.

Gazille just grunted in agreement as Gildarts sighed. "No, she said that fighting off of instinct would help against the mind reader. She also called you both stupid in the same sentence if you don't recall."

"But I can't see myself doing martial arts. I fight the way Igneel taught me, and I want to keep it that way!" Natsu complained.

"Well, Metalicana taught me some form, but not much. He left when I was eight. The secret Dragon Slayer artes are things that we have to craft ourselves. I couldn't use my 'Gōma Tetsu Jin Ken' at eight, and I doubt flame-breath could use his artes either. We didn't stress form, just the techniques." Gazille explained.

Gildarts understood, but still pushed forward with his suggestion. "If you don't want to learn my style, I could just spend the next two-and-a-half months kicking your asses all over the place. Is that what you both want?"

They both relented. It was going to be a long few months…

**XxBreakxX**

Eva was walking through the back streets of Magnolia. She'd found a bit of a shortcut from Mira's house to Gray's. Mira's training had been going well. Just practicing the absorption process was a calm exercise. They could do it indoors, so it was ideal for evening training. Eva was confident Mira would reach the third stage of Magia Erebea before the tourney. She stepped out into a small park, with lots of open grass. Just then, she felt something wrong. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she felt distinct dark energy around her. In an instant, a figure just appears before her. She can barely make out his figure before he just seemed to… phase right through her. The man wore a black cloak that stretched all the way down to his ankles. She turned around quickly but saw nothing. The figure reappeared behind her, facing another direction. She stared at his back for a brief moment before he turned his head towards her. His face was completely covered by the black shadow his hood cast, but his eyes briefly glowed a deep yellow. He turned to face her and held his right hand out. Black energy gathered around his palm until a pure black sword appeared, held in a reverse grip. Upon seeing the weapon, Eva tensed up, forming a small ice spell in her hand as well. The figure made another sword in his left hand and took a stance. His left hand set low and his right hand held back.

The man charged.

**XxChapter EndxX**

**Sorry I haven't been updating at all. I just turned nineteen, and made a considerable amount of birthday money. I've had a good few new games to occupy myself, but I found some time to pump out a small interlude chapter. The fight scene between Eva and the Mysterious Figure will be my longest fight scene yet, and I'm thinking about how I could make it epic throughout. I've taken a few aspects of the encounter with the figure from outside sources, as well as his weapons, but his fighting style will differ GREATLY from the Mysterious Figure some of you may recognize. **

**I wonder if anybody can guess who he is… (I'm asking you too James!)**

**Xeno out. Peace.**

**Spell Info:**

**Karyū no Tekken: **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist"

**Stalagmite*: **Already direct translation

**Tetsuryūken: **"Iron Dragon's Sword"

**Blazing Hearts*: **Already direct translation

**Blazing Hearts (Chant): **Yeah, funny story. The "Tales of" wiki had the Japanese chant, but not an English one OR the translation of the Japanese chant. Weird.

**Tetsuryūkon: **"Iron Dragon's Club"

**Indignation*: **Already direct translation

**Indignation (Chant): **"I, who stand in the full light of the heavens, command thee, who opens the gates of hell! Come forth, Diving Lightning!"

**Mode: Raienryū: **"Mode: Lightning Flame Dragon"

**Mode: Dragon Force: **Already direct translation

**Metsuryū Ougi: Gōma Tetsu Rasen: **"Dragon Slayer's Secret Arte: Karma Demon's Iron Spiral"

**Raienryū no Dai Hōkō: **"Lightning Flame Dragon's Great Roar"

**Unison Raid: Raienryū no Rasenken: **"Unison Raid: Lightning Flame Dragon's Spiral Spear"

**Emissa Stagnet: **"Release and Fixate"

**Complexio: **"Seize"

**Krustalline Basileia: **"Crystalline Basil"

**Magia Erebea: **"Dark Magic"

**Queen of Ice: **Already direct translation

**Frigus Incarnatio de Tonitrui: **"Advent of Cold Thunder"

**Shinmei-ryū: **"God's Cry School"

**Water Slicer: **Already direct translation

**Champagne: **Already direct translation

**Aqua Laser: **Already direct translation

**Tetsuryūsō: Kishin: **"Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs"

**Punkai: **"Separate"

**Crash: **Already direct translation

**Gōma Tetsu Jin Ken: **"Karma Demon's Iron God Sword"

***: **Denotes something from the "Tales of" series of games.


	14. The Mysterious Figure

**Xx Chapter 14: The Mysterious Figure xX**

Eva couldn't believe it. Within the course of no longer than five seconds, she had hit the floor, dead. The man dove forward with such speed she couldn't even begin to follow him. He used his left sword to cut off Eva's right arm at the shoulder. It was the arm holding the ice spell she had prepped, therefore deemed the immediate threat. Before gravity even began to touch the severed limb, he had stabbed his right blade straight through her heart. Eva fell back, coughed up some blood, and twitched sporadically before going still.

She couldn't freaking believe it.

She regained consciousness no more that a few seconds after hitting the ground. The sword in the man's right hand just dissolved into black dust as his hand adopted a purple glow. He aimed for Eva's chest and thrusted downwards. Eva then realized something strange.

"_He knows about my healing… After a decisive kill like that, most would have turned around or maybe just stared in confidence. The fact that he's still attacking means he knows I'm far from actually dead. Who IS this guy!" _

Eva acted fast and rolled out of the way. She jumped and got some distance as the hole in her heart closed up and a new arm burst forth. The figure just stared at her. Not that she could see his eyes. The man's right hand lost it's purple glow and was replaced with his second black sword. It wasn't really a sword per se; Eva could tell that easily. She noticed that they were pure dark magic sharpened to a point. Ethereal Blades. Erza could make some simple ones, but this was a new level all together. Eva's close range barrier counted for NOTHING.

The man reared both of his blades back before heaving them forward, sending blade shaped projectiles towards Eva at high speeds. With a fancy handstand, Eva cartwheeled out of the way quickly. The man wasn't done though, as he just kept firing more and more blades at her. Eva just seemed to dance around the numerous attacks. It wasn't easy though, even for her. She lost some strands of hair on a few different occasions. Growing tired of this endurance game, she crafted three different ice shields in a row near her. Three may have seemed like much, but she wasn't taking any chances.

It wasn't enough.

The very next blade just tore through all the shields like paper and severed her upper body from the lower at a diagonal angle. She chuckled in disbelief while her lower half turned to dust and reappeared connected to her body once more. She made a mental note: By no means do anything but dodge this man's projectiles.

Eva left the cover of the shields quickly. Now that they were deemed useless, she needed to get sight of the man again. He wasn't where he used to be though. Her senses kicked in as she ducked to avoid a horizontal slash from behind. She lashed out with a fierce kick the man just redirected with his left forearm, leading him into a downwards slash with his right. Eva brought her left hand up and caught his swing by the wrist. She immediately started to freeze his arm. The Ethereal Blade dissipated as the ice took hold. It crept up to his elbow before he finally managed to break Eva's grip. He backpedaled a bit before staring at his frozen appendage. Nonchalantly, he slammed his arm against a tree to his right, shattering the ice.

"_How strong is he!" _Eva didn't have time to think past that before the man acted again. He appeared right behind her and swung laterally with one of his blades. The act confused her. She didn't notice him move. That had to mean it wasn't any sort of enhanced speed technique. He literally teleported.

Eva didn't have time to duck, so she decided to take a risk. Channeling as much energy into her right hand as possible, comparable to what she would absorb for Magia Erebea, she attempted to catch the blade. There was a flash, but beyond that, it seemed to work. She shoved him back before turning to face him.

"Frigus Pugnus!"

Covering her hands in ice gauntlets, she engaged the man in close combat. She moved deceptively fast considering the weight of the gauntlets, but the man avoided her as if it were nothing. He waiting for an opening, which he eventually got when he crossed his blades to intercept a haymaker. Using his left leg, he kicked Eva right in the kneecap, shattering it. She buckled under the pressure on her now useless limb, showing the man further openings. He twirled to her side before bringing down one of his blades to sever both of her arms. Before Eva's arms had even hit the ground, he kicked straight in the face. Hard. She flew straight into a tree, breaking it.

The man looked at the arms on the ground. They turned to dust quickly, prompting him to look back at his opponent. Eva stood up, looking pissed as hell. Her arms were back where they used to be as well. She began the chant for Kosmike Catastrophe but could barely get close to finishing it. The man fired one of his projectile blades at her. Knowing better at this point, Eva stopped chanting and dodged. She growled in annoyance as the man ran at her. He wasn't going to let her chant during this battle. The man swung his blades with grace seldom seen. He seemed to dance as he fought. Eva was constantly taking cuts here and there as she attempted to evade. She didn't even have time to swing back. She did the only thing she could think of.

"Actus Noctis Erebea!"

As her color palate inverted, she became faster. Stronger. Better. Forming an Ensis Exsequens in her right hand, she began to dance with the figure. A furious exchange of offense and defense followed, and to an observer they would appear to be naught but a blur. But despite this, Eva was STILL having some trouble. She needed to get some distance and start casting spells! Unfortunately for Eva, this man took her straight out of her comfort zone. She could fight up close, that's for damn sure. Magia Erebea combined with her close-range barrier made her a potent threat in hand-to-hand combat. But that was not her forte at all. She was a caster. She blew you to bits with her insane magical power.

Incredibly, she found a small opening when he tried to change up his style. She noticed him flip his right blade from a reverse grip to a standard one. She didn't know what technique he was going to use with his new grip, but she wasn't waiting to find out. She kicked him right in the ribs as he was switching styles. Normally, her attempting this move would result in him blocking, then counterattacking. His blade wasn't even fully in his hands as he flipped it, so he was open, for that one instant. Eva kicked him hard; as hard as she could. The man flew a decent distance before righting himself into a low crouch. He looked up at the blond vampire. He was then forced to hastily dodge a spear of ice headed straight towards his face.

Eva had finally gotten to chant some spells. She was going all out for this one.

"Touketsu Arano!" She screamed with force.

This was nothing like the paltry demonstration she gave Erza the other week. Not only was she aiming to kill, she was in Magia Erebea. Her magic output was astronomically higher than usual. The entire field, along with all the plant life in the area. Then the spears started. The figure evaded quite skillfully, not even being touched by the attack. As he neared a frozen tree, he was surprised when a spear of ice sprouted from the side of said tree. He tried ducking, but it still slid across his right shoulder, tearing skin. Eva cursed that it didn't stab him. The crystallization process would only begin if the target was stabbed. The man resumed dodging, and Eva soon realized she was just wasting energy. She removed her palms from the ground, stopping the onslaught of ice. The man stood slowly and looked her in the eye, his own glowing that sickly red.

Eva was beginning to get upset. This person was just too hard to pin down. She then noticed a small red spot on the ice floor next to the man. A drop of red liquid fell in the same spot. She looked up and saw the source. He was bleeding from his right arm.

"See. You're just a man." Eva said.

The man still said nothing. He held out both of his hands, palms up. Suddenly, a black orb appeared in each hand. He reared back and threw one at Eva with the force of a cannonball. She managed to narrowly dodge it. As the ball flew past her, it collided with a tree, which was promptly dismantled and sucked into the orb. The orb then shrunk and landed on the frozen floor like a marble. Eva barely had time to process this before the next one was thrown, faster than the last. Nevertheless, she still managed to dodge it like before. The man then decided to change things up. Noticing this instantly, Eva surmised that he stopped throwing the orbs because it wasted energy. He tossed his swords into the air. They then just froze in place, in the air! Then, more and more blades started appearing to join the first two. There had to be dozens. They all pointed themselves at Eva, then flew forward with great speed.

Using the ice already littering the area, she started manipulating it to create multiple shields. She kept pumping more and more magic power into the shields to see if they could finally end up blacking the man's blades. It worked. The blades sunk into the each shield, coming out the other side, but stopping before going completely through them. The swords though, were coming from all directions. They flew around as if they had minds of their own. They went for every opening they could find, and Eva soon found her side diving and rolling out of the way while creating new shields here and there. It was insane. The precision of these swords would require insane control and magic capacity. Eva decided to stop and pump out as much energy as she could to create a dome around her. As she sat in it to catch her breath, she saw all the swords piercing the makeshift igloo, coming inches from her body before stopping under the durability of the shield.

The man looked blankly at the dome of ice. He seemed to be patiently waiting for her to emerge, as if it was just a mere delay of the inevitable. About thirty seconds later, he felt a massive influx of magical energy, enough to make him perk up. It just grew and grew and grew. He looked at his still bleeding arm. It was shaking under the pressure.

He closed and opened his hand a few times, until it stopped shaking. He then fired a dark arrow at the dome. It exploded into a shower of ice before the arrow even got close. There Eva stood, glowing light blue. She almost seemed shiny, as the street lamps reflected off her skin. It was ice. Little bolts of blue lightning flickered on and off around her person.

"Frigus Incarnatio de Tonitrui." She revealed. The man lost sight of her right after those words. He glowed black, releasing a dark mist around his person. His left hand started to glow purple again. This was his tactic. The mist would sense any and all movement within its field. He seemed to know that he would never get close to catching Eva like this, but now he didn't even have to use his eyes. The minute he sensed something he turned around and thrusted his palm out. It collided straight with Eva's stomach. The look of shock on her face was almost comical. She was giving this man the privilege of facing her full power, yet he caught her easily. She was moving at 10,000 km/per second! But her caught her. As Eva fell backwards, she landed right on her butt. The man didn't even hit her that hard.

Then she felt something wrong. She felt her magical energy recede back into her body. It didn't leave her, but went back in. She starting glowing purple as her technique deactivated beyond her will. She looked at her stomach and saw all the purple energy around her gather right there. It formed a cross before attaching to her skin and turning black, like a tattoo. He tried reaching for Magia Erebea, but it wouldn't work! She noticed the man slowly stepped towards her. She then felt something she hadn't felt in almost 400 years. Fear. She looked at the man with wide eyes.

"W-Who are you?" She asked in a shaky voice.

Surprisingly, she got an answer. But it was strange. His voice wasn't clear, it was raspy, and almost seemed to echo. The sound felt like it came from all directions as well.

**I am he who seeks out the light… and turns it all dark…**

**I am the dawn to many lives… but also their dusk…**

**I am nothing… yet everything…**

**You, on the other hand, are a mistake…**

He stepped forward still, growing closer and closer. Eva started backing up as fast as she could while still on the ground. She was forced to stop however as she collided with a tree. She looked at it briefly before turning her attention back to the man. He held out his palm at her, gathering black energy in it. The power grew and grew, and Eva closed her eyes tight for the oncoming attack she could do nothing to stop.

Then, the amazing happened. A golden metal gauntlet collided straight with the side of the man's head. A burst of magic energy came from the fist and blew the mysterious figure many yards away, breaking through a few trees in the process. Eva looked up and saw a mop of brown hair and a long cape.

There stood Gildarts, with a look of absolute fury on his face.

"Gildarts…" Eva said in awe. She directed her attention from her savior to her attacker. The man stood up, but stumbled slightly. He straightened up soon enough though. Gildarts turned to face her.

"You okay, Kitty?" He asked teasingly.

Eva sighed in relief. "I'm glad you answered my call." She told him.

"I know, at first I thought it was a prank, but I'm glad I came."

**XxFlashbackxX**

_Eva sat inside the dome of ice she had just created. She was about to go in hot, but wanted some insurance. Pulling out Gildarts' Pactio card, she held it to her forehead. _

"_Gildarts, this is Eva. I don't have time to explain the voice in your head, but know it's the Pactio. I'm in a fight with someone insanely strong. I'm about to go all out, but I don't know if it'll be enough. Meet me at Southgate Park." _

_She cut the telepathic connection before starting the chants for __Khilipl Astrape__ and __Kosmike Catastrophe__. _

**XxEnd FlashbackxX **

"He's coming." Eva said seriously.

Gildarts turned his attention towards the Mysterious Figure. "You think you're hot shit? Pick on somebody your own size." He taunted.

"Gildarts, stop posing, we have to run!" Eva told him. She looked closely though and noticed he'd developed a slight sweat. He hadn't even fought yet.

Internally, Gildarts was scared. _"Who the hell is this person. His force of presence is just staggering. And… he beat Eva… That's someone I don't want to even get close to." _He's brought out of his thoughts by an echoing voice.

**Who… are you?**

After taking a moment to figure out the man was talking, Gildarts answered. "I'm Gildarts Clive, your new opponent. You made a mistake when you attacked my friend."

**Friend…? You refer to the demon I suppose?**

"She's no demon! She's a mage of Fairy Tail!"

**Fairy… Tail…**

The man's power skyrocketed.

"FAIRY TAIL!" The man's actual voice exclaimed, sounding quite young, before charging at Gildarts.

**XxAt Cosmo Entelecheia's HideoutxX**

A large flare-up of energy was felt around the guild. Soon, all six of the main Averruncus unit's had stormed into the Guild Master's temporary hall.

"Lord Zeref!" Secundum called worriedly.

Zeref, still in his Tenroujima clothes, looked at him sadly from his chair. "Is it him again?" He asked his subordinate.

Sextum answered. She had a lithe figure and looked much like Fate, only with hair a tad bit longer than his and straightened. "The energy flare-up was detected around Magnolia Town."

"You think he would attack Evangeline?" Zeref asked.

"We believe so." She responded.

Zeref turned to Primum, who looked like just an older Fate. "Did he use the seal on her?"

"He escaped your lab with the Rosary, so I'd assume so. I don't believe he could beat her without it." He answered.

Zeref put a hand on his forehead in frustration. "His activities have been getting bolder and bolder as of late. I fear he'll gain some larger attention soon."

"Why do you think he went after Evangeline?" Secundum wondered.

Zeref sighed. "I believe he's a bit upset after his failed raid on Ala Alba last month. You forget that he only views my enemies as threats."

Fate finally spoke up. "But he lacks your self control. You know full well that he'll act only to rectify any mistakes you've made. Anything you'd ever felt unsure about, anything you ever regretted, he'll attempt to address them all. You view Ala Alba as a nuisance, so he attacked them. You view Evangeline as a mistake, so he attacked her next."

"Well what would you have us do?" Quartum demanded. "Kill him? Only Lord Zeref could do that himself, and he can't make any actions yet. We're not ready to make our move yet!"

Fate looked at the boy blankly before turning to Zeref. "How fast could you get me to Magnolia town?" He asked.

Everybody gave Fate a shocked look. Zeref considered it for a moment before addressing the request. "Why would you be going? To save Evangeline or kill him?"

"They're one in the same, are they not?" He responded.

Secundum jumped in. "Why not just let him kill her, then step in to finish him off? Perhaps he's injured."

"It depends on when he put on the seal. If he did it quickly, she may not have done much damage." Sextum theorized.

Zeref decided to clarify. "The Rosary reacts to her demonic energy. Unless she uses her Magia Erebea, the seal won't work. She would fight very hard before having to use it. He must be injured in some way."

"I don't see why we should actually act at all. We came here because it was important to talk about, but we don't need to do anything." Quartum stated. "Why would you go out of the way to save Evangeline Tertium?" He finished.

Fate gave him a blank look. "What is the primary guild in Magnolia Town?" He asked him.

Everyone's eyes widened at the thought. Secundum was the first to react. "He'll be going after Fairy Tail next! That's too open, he needs to be stopped!"

"But would he really attack them next?" Primum asked.

"Yes." Zeref revealed. "Fairy Tail is something special to me. It's not anger, it's not fear, it's regret. I don't view them as enemies, I'm not scared of them, but I regret my interactions with them. I believe the negativity of that feeling is enough for him to act. Tertium, kill him. I can get you there within minutes."

"Yes, my lord." Fate answered before preparing for battle.

**XxBreakxX**

"HA!" Gildarts' yelled as the hand on his full-arm gauntlet extended towards the man. His opponent just shifted out of the way, not stopping his run towards Gildarts. The now fuming Mysterious Figure engaged Gildarts in close combat. More used to this kind of confrontation, Gildarts fared a little better than Eva. A little. He was still getting destroyed, efficiently and effectively.

Gildarts decided to do something risky. He put his left hand up to one of the man's Ethereal Blades and attempted to disassemble it. It worked, as the blade just scattered into the air as wandering energy. Taking the new opportunity, Gildarts grabbed the man's now empty wrist and reeled him closed for a massive headbutt, forcing him to drop his hood. The man hastily put it back on, but Gildarts still saw.

"You're..." He's cut off by a massive kick to his gut, sending him back a good distance.

"Gildarts!" Eva screamed in worry. She felt so useless. She still couldn't access Magia Erebea!

The dust cloud from Gildarts collision broke apart with great force, showing him in his full power mode. The white aura radiated madly and his hair and cloak rose slightly. His gauntlet arm started to crackle with what seemed like electric energy. The man started sending his Ethereal Blades at Gildarts like missiles, as he did to Eva earlier. As they closed in on him, he just expelled a large burst of Crash magic from his person like a wave, sending all the blades in different directions. Surprised, the Mysterious Figure wasn't ready for his opponents follow-up. Before he knew it, Gildarts was in his face. Gildarts' aura seemed to leave his body and center around his gauntlet.

"Haja Kensho:"

He slammed his fist into the man's gut, pausing before releasing a burst of Crash magic straight into him a point blank range.

"Itten!" He yelled as the man was propelled into the air. He grunted in pain, but it wasn't debilitating by any means. As he kept flying upwards, he looked to the night sky and saw Gildarts rearing up for an overhead kick.

"Nitten!" Gildarts yelled again as the Mysterious Figure flew back towards the ground. The man felt some bones in his back crack at that attack. He looked to the ground and saw Gildarts with his fist to the sky, charged with more Crash magic. He fell stomach first right onto the attack.

"Santen!" As he collided with Gildarts' fist, the man felt a massive concentration of magical energy impact his stomach. A forceful shockwave of similar energy spread across the field in a burst of wind. Then, the man felt his stomach give way. A pillar of energy extended from Gildarts' gauntlet, tearing straight through it's target. As the energy subsided and the man went limp, Gildarts threw him a good distance away before falling to his knees in exhaustion. He looked at Eva and smiled before her face turned to shock and started yelling something at Gildarts. He couldn't hear her for some reason, then he looked down and saw a black blade extending from his chest. He turned his head weakly and saw the man's face up close again, but Eva still couldn't see. The man kicked Gildarts off his sword and watched him hit the ground, bleeding profusely. Eva looked at the man's stomach and found she could see straight through it. Blood seeped from the whole, staining his robe an even deeper black, but the man seemed to show no pain at the fact.

"I'm impressed." The man said, not using his echo trick anymore. "You are much stronger than I initially gave you credit for, but you've seen my face. You die here." He said as he charged his left hand with dark energy. Gildarts wanted to dodge, but his vision was get blurry. He felt tired from blood loss. Eva yelled in despair as the man fired. The following explosion was massive, but as the dust cleared, a wall of stone was revealed to have guarded Gildarts from the attack.

"You've done well, Gildarts Clive." A young voice said. Eva turned to the source of the familiar voice and saw Fate walk from the shadows. Gildarts weakly turned his head to the new arrival, but could barely make out his figure.

"Fate Averruncus!" Eva revealed.

Fate spared her a glance in return. "We meet again, Evangeline A.K. McDowell. Though I didn't know it was you during our first encounter." Fate then turned his attention to the Mysterious Figure. He point his two fingers at him and fired a beam of petrification magic at him. As the smoke clears, the man is revealed to be just fine.

"Who are you?" He asked Fate. Fate seemed to flinch slightly at the sound of his voice.

"Stop talking. I hate hearing you use HIS voice. I'm here to kill you, and that's all you need to know." Fate said darkly.

"An Averruncus unit then? One of Zeref's toys?" The man taunted. He didn't get to continue as he was forced to dodge a stone spear. It didn't go so well, as his movement were becoming sluggish. The spear scraped along his good shoulder, injuring him further.

"I seem to be at a disadvantage…" The man revealed reluctantly. "You won't be killing anyone today, young Averruncus, but tell your master this. I'll be back for completion eventually." The man said before disappearing into a black smoke.

Fate grunted in annoyance. _"So he intends to do THAT then. I should have expected as much." _He's brought out of his musings by Eva's cries at Gildarts' still form. Fate sighed at what he was about to do. He walked over to Gildarts and turned him over, much to Eva's chargin.

"Silence." Fate ordered before placing his palm on Gildarts' chest. He then turned the wound to stone, staunching the bleeding. He rose and looked at Eva. "You're both very lucky you know. Keep an eye out for that man in the future." He said before walking away. Eva hoisted Gildarts over her shoulder and ran straight for Porlyusica's, not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

**XxChapter EndxX**

**They are one chapter now! It flows better in my opinion. Enjoy!**

**Review please.**

**Spell Info: Coming soon…**

**A Quick Lesson on Eva's Magia Erebea!**

Okay, so during Eva's Magia Erebea, "Queen of Ice", she hit's her strongest as shown in the manga. The reason I added an additional form was due to the fact that Negi demonstrated a second form could be reached through a Duplex Complexio, which allows you to absorb TWO spells into Magia Erebea. Eva only preformed Magia Erebea once during the manga, and the fight ended quickly, but there are a few things to be known.

Eva is practically invincible in Magia Erebea, be it her first form or the second one I created. Eva can cast any type of ice spell without a chant, and with no intervals, as long as it can't be classified as "High Class". It's a rule breaker that takes her beyond her already brutal combat efficiencies. Krustalline Basileia is actually the name of the space she creates during her use of Magia Erebea. The immediate area around her turns to ice, forming a sort of "field" that she completely owns. That is presumably the one weakness of her Magia Erebea, in that pulling her out of the area eliminates her new found ice god abilities.

Frigus Incarnatio de Tonitrui, my invented second form, is a "what if" where she did a Duplex Complexio between Khilipl Astrape and Kosmike Catastrophe. It would be like combining Raisoku Shundo and Queen of Ice together. The lightning aspect though, still suffers from the same weaknesses Negi had to deal with before he created Raiten Taisou. She can also use her army killer in this form A LOT easier.


	15. Zeref's Mistake

**Xx Chapter 15: Zeref's Mistake xX**

Gildarts felt horrible. He'd been hurt worse before, that was certain, but getting stabbed through the chest still sucked. Right through his heart too. Or at least, if the left side of his body were normal it would. After his encounter with Acnologia, then Eva's subsequent healing, his organs were a bit jumbled. His heart was just a few centimeters to the right of where most peoples were. He was one lucky sonova bitch. He felt himself on a bed, and he could hear some talking. He slowly opened his eyes, noticing that he was in Porlyusica's hut. Feeling more and more awake by the second, he started to listen in on the conversation to his side.

"So you're telling me this person beat you AND Gildarts, then got away?" Porlyusica asked.

"No, he beat me, THEN Gildarts, THEN ran away. If we had fought together, that man would be toast." Eva defended.

Gildarts could hear Porlyusica sigh. "Well, Gildarts will live, but I can't do anything about the seal on your stomach. I've never seen anything like it."

"I'll have to see if anybody around the guild can do something about it. I would have won if it weren't for this damn thing." Eva complained.

"Once Gildarts wakes up, I'll give him some painkillers and send you both off. You can get to the guild and do whatever you want." Porlyusica explained.

Gildarts decided to make himself known. "I'm awake now. Does that mean we can leave? I need a beer."

Eva gave him a big grin. "Good to see you up old man. You feelin' alright?" She asked playfully.

"I've been better, but I'll manage. That guy was really something else."

"About that." Porlyusica interjected. "Evangeline told me you saw his face. Did you recognize him?" She asked.

Gildarts gave a deep sigh. "It was Zeref." He stated simply.

The looks he got from the two females were almost comical.

**XxBreakxX**

Fate walked through a hall in his guild's temporary residence. He walked quickly, almost agitatedly. He had a slight frown on his face, and was deep in thought.

"_That man… He shrugged off my petrification spell, and dodged my spear while injured. He's beyond me… 'Let me kill him Lord Zeref!'… What was I thinking." _

Fate finally made his way to Zeref and kneeled. The other Averruncus units were already present.

"He still lives, I presume?" Zeref stated more than asked.

"That he does, but he's quite injured. He'll be out of commission for weeks by my estimate." Fate responded.

Quartum scoffed. "You were the one who offered to go after him, and you couldn't do it? Pathetic."

Fate gave him a glare. "Might I remind you that it was YOU who claimed the only one who could kill him was Lord Zeref. Don't act like you could have done better."

Quartum just huffed in response. Fate redirected his attention to Zeref. "I personally believe that you should be the one to clean this up, Lord Zeref. It's your fault anyways." He accused boldly.

"Tertium! Hold your tongue!" Secundum yelled, only for Zeref to raise his hand for silence.

"It's alright. He's correct. Just know that I'm not able to act right now Tertium. Forgive me for the time being." Zeref said in a placating manner. "My attempt to separate was not successful, and I will accept the consequences eventually."

Fate wouldn't let up. "Forgive me my lord, but from now on I would implore that you do not deny your duties as a dark lord." He said, getting even more shocked looks from the others present.

"You always were a feisty one…" Zeref said with a chuckle. "Dismissed."

As Fate quickly got up and left, he was forced to stop by Sextum, who had caught up with him.

"Tertium, I'm confused. You know of how this man came to be?" She asked him.

Fate paused before relenting. He would tell her. "You are a master of Archival Magic, correct, Sextum?" He asked.

"Yes." She said, not getting where he was going with this.

Fate activated his own Archive Magic and created a digitalized folder of sorts. He pointed to a single block on the "screen".

"You see this? This is Lord Zeref." He said while giving it the appropriate label. He then ran his hand over the "file" and a lock symbol appeared over it.

"After being banished to Tenroujima by Nagi Springfield, Lord Zeref's abilities were sealed. For twenty years he did nothing but think. He got complacent, even started to enjoy the newfound calm his new life held. He knew that his existence always called for change. He was always in action, spreading darkness. It was his duty, whether he liked it or not. Lord Zeref believed that after 400 years, enough was enough. He didn't feel that the world needed him anymore. He wanted nothing more to do with the current era."

He then slid his hand over the file again, and the lock symbol disappeared.

"As Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart appeared before him, he was eventually forced to call upon Acnologia, thus breaking the seal. The new era now awaited him, and he knew he would have to begin acting once more. He didn't want to leave his peace behind, so he tried to get somebody else to change the era, to spread darkness for him, so he may rest once more."

Fate tapped the file and it burst into dozens of new ones.

"He went to his lab and began his plan. He 'extracted' all of the 'files' that made up his person. Feelings, abilities, memories, he examined them all. His goal was to take all of his responsibilities, and hand them off to a separate being."

He then started grabbing certain files and separating them from the others.

"All his dark magic, all his negative feelings, he intended to created a new 'folder' and insert those 'files' into it. He would then send this new being to do his work while he retreated back into the peace he had come to enjoy."

Fate then created a new screen to the right of the current one and made another folder, labeled "Zeref 2".

"He had intended to 'cut and paste' these things into a separate body and send it off. As it turned out, these things did not part with him so easily. He tried his plan, but ultimately failed. He only managed to 'copy and paste'."

Fate then copied all the 'negative' files from 'Zeref' into 'Zeref 2'.

"This was the result. Absolutely nothing changed about our Zeref, but he just ended up creating a vessel holding his powers and negative emotions. A brilliant flub on his part. Now look what's happened. This Zeref 'clone' struts about attacking people and trying to do Lord Zeref's work." Fate finished explaining.

"I see…" Sextum said, taking in all the information.

Fate wasn't done yet though. "But that's not the worst part yet. Acting rashly with the excuse of solving Lord Zeref's problems is bad enough, but the most important thing to note is his true objective."

"True?"

Fate nodded. "When I encountered him, he spoke of assimilating his body with Lord Zeref's and becoming the dominant personality in the resulting body. He would be unstoppable if he were to succeed."

Sextum's eyes widened at the revelation. "Then he needs to be disposed of as soon as possible." She concluded.

"Indeed. But as of now, very few individuals are powerful enough to do it, and one of them just became useless." Fate explained.

"You speak of Evangeline I presume? He used the seal then?" She stated more than asked.

Fate sighed. "As much as it pains me to admit it, she was a crucial part to the fake's destruction. It could take years to figure out a way to counteract the seal. She's out of the picture."

Noticing his frustration, Sextum decided to take her leave. "I'll let you be then. I have things to attend to." She said while turning around to leave.

"I would suggest you get stronger, Sextum." Fate said to her retreating form.

Sextum's eyes widened at the statement. "Perhaps you are correct…" She mused.

"I'm heading to the gym. You may join me if you wish." Fate informed her as he went his own way.

"I'll have to decline. As I said, I have things to attend to." She responded before continuing down the hall.

"_We have a gym?" _She thought as she headed towards her room. It would take a few minutes though. They had procured a quite sizable base of operations. As she neared her room, she was cut off by a familiar voice.

"Sextum, a word?"

She turned and saw none other than Quintum. He looked like a younger Secundum, but held a calmer look and demeanor.

"Can I help you, Quintum?" She asked him.

He nodded. "I saw you speaking with Tertium after the meeting. I meant to have a few words with him myself, but I've been unable to find him. I had surmised that you might have known where he went."

"He told me he was heading to the gym. I'm not sure why, but you'll find him there." She told him.

Quintum gave her a light bow before heading his own way.

"_We have a gym?" _He thought as he moved towards the lowest level of the building. Once he passed by Zeref's room, he saw Secundum leaning against the wall near the door. He gave the man a nod and continued forward. Or at least he tried to. Secundum always had something to say.

"You seem occupied Quintum. Where are you headed?" He asked.

"I have something to address with Tertium. Sextum told me he was in the gym, so I'm going there now. May I please leave?" Quintum informed the eccentric man.

Secundum was a bit miffed at his juniors eagerness to leave his presence, but he relented nonetheless. "Go on then." He said. He had figured he might as well return to his quarters as well. There wasn't much going on, so he would probably just go and read a book.

"_We have a gym?" _He thought as he headed up the stairs towards his room. Just as he neared his room, he met Quartum in the hallway. Their rooms were close after all. They stopped in front of each other and met gazes.

"I figured you would have retired for the night Quartum. Where might you be going?" Secundum asked the slightly insane boy.

"I had something to ask Lord Zeref. Where are you coming from?" Quartum responded.

Secundum shrugged. "I was really just loitering around the master's room for a while. I met up with Quintum who was headed for the gym and decided to go rest." He told him.

"I'll leave you to it then." Quartum said before heading down the staircase.

"_We have a gym?" _He thought as he neared Zeref's chambers. Once he reached them, he had to stop as Primum exited. Quartum should have figured as much. He was always around here. Primum gave him a blank look.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Nothing important. I had just come from a brief conversation with Secundum. Something about Quintum going to the gym. Could you please move, I wish to speak with Lord Zeref." Quartum requested.

Primum moved out of the way. "By all means." He said before deciding to retire for the night.

"_We have a gym?" _He thought as he headed for his room.

**XxBreakxX**

Fate stood in an open area of the gym, performing Chinese martial arts katas. It was presumably an area intended for sparring. All he wore were some boxing shorts and Muay Thai bandages. He had a slight hitch in his breath and was covered head to toe in sweat. He was going through the motions with surprising speed and ease. It was fascinating to watch for the most part.

Quintum was greeted by this sight as he entered the gym. It took him a while to find it, seeing as he didn't even know it existed until twenty minutes ago. He was perplexed by Fate's behavior. Why was he exercising? He couldn't understand it.

Deciding to make himself known, Quintum called out. "Tertium! What are you doing?" He asked.

Tertium spared him a glance before stopping his practice. He walked over to a small pedestal with three circle shaped slots in it, each larger than the last. There was currently a black orb in the middle slot. Fate removed it and set it on a table next to two other orbs that fit the other sizes on the pedestal. He breathed a sigh of content as the orb was taken out, which further confused Quintum.

"What do you want, Quintum?" Fate asked the newcomer, slightly annoyed.

Leaving his initial purpose aside, Quintum decided to address what was currently bothering him at the moment. "What are you doing, Tertium?"

Fate gave him a blank look. "I'm training." He said simply.

"Training? Why on earth are you doing that? We are perfect beings created by Lord Zeref. We all hold equal power on foot with the world's most powerful mages." He argued.

Fate gained a frustrated look.

**XxFlashbackxX **

_Fate had just taken a massive elbow to the gut from a young boy emitting the glow of __Magia Erebea__. _

"_Amazing, Negi Springfield. Has your training with Jack Rakan truly yielded such results? I have never needed training myself, so I'm curious as to how you got so much stronger." Fate asked the boy, now identified as Negi._

_Negi gave him a big grin. "Put in enough hard work, and nothing is impossible, Fate!"_

**XxEnd FlashbackxX**

"Would you pick a fight with Evangeline A.K. McDowell?" Fate asked the Quintum.

The boy paused slightly. "It most definitely would not be advisable…" He relented.

"Would you fight the man currently bothering our guild?" Fate asked further.

Quintum was getting uncomfortable. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea either."

Fate paused for this next one. "Would you engage Nagi Springfield in combat?"

"Of course not! He defeated Lord Zeref!" Quintum uncharacteristically exclaimed.

Fate gained a slight smirk. "You've just proven the point as to why I'm currently training. We're not the strongest, Quintum. I realized that after my encounter with that nuisance earlier. We are what the outside world would call SS-Class. We are top tier, but others lie in this tier with us. Gildarts Clive, Laxus Dreyar, Makarov Dreyar, Jose Porla, Jura Neekis, Mikazuchi Kagura, Jellal Fernandes, Bacchus of the drunken fist. We are threatened by many individuals in the world of mages. I, for one, am not content with this fact. I must get stronger. I must be ahead of them all!" He finished before turning away and heading back to the pedestal. Quintum followed him onto the sparring platform.

"I see your point, but what would running through your default programming for hours accomplish?" He asked.

Fate picked up the biggest orb and placed it in the appropriate slot. Instantly, Quintum's knees buckled and he hit the floor. Fate still stood tall.

"Try doing them at 100x gravity." He told Quintum smugly.

Quintum slowly rose to his feet, his hands resting on his knees. "This magic power… It's Dynamis', isn't it?"

Fate nodded. "I asked him to fill some Lachryma with gravity magic. He was confused at first, but he did it anyways. Now leave me, I have work to do."

Forgetting what he even came for in the first place, Quintum just wanted to get some rest. His back hurt something fierce.

As he heard the door to the gym close, Fate sighed in relief before returning to work.

"_I hope you're training as well, Fairy Tail. There will be more to this 'Great Magic Games' than you all think…"_

**XxChapter EndxX**

**I JUST CAN'T STOP BABY!**

**Review please!**

**Xeno out, peace!**


	16. Evangeline AK McDowell

**Xx Chapter 16: Evangeline A.K. McDowell xX**

Eva and Gildarts both walked through Magnolia Town at a steady pace. They dreaded the conversation that would come once they walked through the guild doors. Gildarts really only needed some bandages and a blood transfusion, so an overnight stay was all it took. They were about to show up during the evening rush at the guild. EVERYBODY would be there.

"So…" Eva started. "Who wants to talk about how we got our asses kicked?" She asked her companion.

Gildarts couldn't help but sigh. "We got in a fight with Zeref. They'll understand, right?"

"I'm still not exactly convinced it was him. Granted, there are plenty of indicators to such a fact, but there's one thing that solidifies the opposite." Eva explained.

"And what's that?"

"When talking to Fate, he referred to Zeref in the third person. He's not him, I'm sure of it. I'm still not exactly sure what he ACTUALLY is though. A clone, maybe? It's an annoying conundrum to say the least." She complained.

Gildarts rubbed the top of her head. "Well, at least we're alive, right?"

"If you could call it that. I can't use my magic, remember? That means I can't heal! I actually have to dodge shit now!" Eva complained further.

"Well, maybe somebody at the guild can do something about the seal. Speaking of which…"

They both looked at the guild entrance with dread. It was now or never…

**XxIn the GuildxX**

"Has anybody seen Gildarts?" Natsu asked. "He's supposed to be training me today!"

Gray scoffed. "My teacher's gone too! Where's Eva-sensei at?"

Cana took in these two facts for a moment before going pale. "HE PROMISED ME IT WASN'T TRUE!" She screamed before running downstairs to get more beer.

"Maybe it has something to do with Southgate Park? I heard it's a bonafide war zone. Or did you blow that one up too, flame-breath?" Gray taunted, ignoring Cana's outburst.

"I really am a bit worried though…" Mira said to herself.

Erza spoke up. "Please, they're the two strongest mages in this guild, what trouble could they possibly run into?"

"Zeref?" Lucy supplied.

"Nonsense." Was her reply.

Then, a gruff voice was heard. "TWO strongest? I'll admit, I'm not exactly ready for Gildarts yet, but some random chick that joined a few months ago? Better than me?" The voice complained.

Everybody turned to see Laxus, sitting at his own table drinking some beer.

Mira sighed. "Laxus, I know we haven't told you yet, but-"

"Mira!" Gray yelled. She looked at him and saw him shake his head. This was Eva's business.

"What's up then, Mirajane?" Laxus asked politely. "Is this newbie that big of a deal? What kind of magic does she use?"

"It's complicated, but yes, she's very strong. She's mainly an ice mage, but you'd be interested in her secondary affinity." Mira responded.

Laxus raised an eyebrow at that. "Not many people explore their secondary affinity in the first place. What's hers?"

Natsu jumped in. "Rin's a totally awesome thunder mage too!" He exclaimed.

"She uses lightning too?" Laxus asked in surprise.

Gazille figured he'd join in too. "Yeah, she's damn good at it too. She damn near fried us both when she used that one spell the other day during training."

Natsu whistled in remembrance. "Man, that was something else. I thought I was a goner…"

"What spell was it?" Laxus asked, quite interested.

Gray waved him off. "You wouldn't have heard of it. She an old style mage, so she's really big on chanted spells and such."

"So? I know a few chanted spells." Laxus supplied.

"Oh yeah!" Natsu exclaimed. "That one spell, raging whatever!"

"It's Raging Bolt, Natsu. Get it right." The man corrected.

Just then, the doors to the guild opened. Everyone looked straight at the newcomers.

"Katherine-chan! Gildarts!" Mira exclaimed with a big smile. "We were worried about you all!"

Eva waved her off. "We're fine. There was just some trouble last night is all."

"Oh, well I hope everything is-"

"Hold the fucking phone." Laxus all but commanded. He walked over to Eva and towered over her. He looked down at her with a serious gaze. Not having her magic power, Eva faltered a bit. "THIS is the newbie that's supposed to be stronger than me?" He asked disbelievingly.

Surprisingly, Natsu spoke up. "Yep, that's her! And she's not just stronger than you."

Laxus gave him a questioning look. "What?"

Gildarts spoke up. "Well, well, it's good to see you Laxus!" He said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Who is this girl, Gildarts?" Laxus asked sternly. Gildarts was about to answer when Laxus heard a cough below him. He looked down to see Eva glaring at him.

"I can introduce myself thank you very little." She huffed.

"Then do it." Laxus said.

She gave him a good glare in return. "Katherine. I'd like to say nice to meet you, but your superiority complex is already pissing me off."

Laxus didn't rise to her provocation. "Want to try introducing yourself again, only without all the bullshit?" He accused.

"I don't follow."

"Not a word you said was true. Who are you?"

Eva paused, and everybody nearby stood by with baited breath. "My name is Evangeline McDowell." Laxus' eyebrows raised at that. He could've sworn he'd heard that name before. "I'm currently a registered S-Class mage of Fairy Tail, and full-time sensei of both Gray Fullbuster and Mirajane Strauss. On a side note, I have zero magic power. Nice to meet you." She explained honestly.

"Laxus Dreyar, S-Class mage of Fairy Tail. Likewise." He responded.

Gray suddenly stepped in. "What do you mean you have no magic power? You're capacity is usually staggering! What's happened?"

That led them all to their first inquiry. Where have Gildarts and Eva been?

Eva gestured for everybody to sit down while she gathered her thoughts. Gildarts sat next to her, ready to help explain when necessary.

"Where to start… Well, I guess I'll go from the beginning." She started. "Last night, after training with Mira, I was attacked by a mage on my way home through Southgate Park."

"Woah… So that's what happened at Southgate park. You blew it up in a fight!" Natsu theorized.

Eva shook her head. "Actually, Gildarts blew it up, but that's not for awhile." She corrected. "To be completely blunt… This mage kicked my ass. Badly." She confessed.

Everybody stood still at the revelation. It seemed nearly impossible for them to comprehend. Eva lost?

Mira was the first to recover. "But how? I can count the number of mages on the whole planet that MIGHT be able to beat you in a fight on one hand!"

"What!" Laxus said, quite surprised. "This brat's really that good?"

Gildarts nodded. "You're young, so you might not recognize her name, but she's a real player in the world of mages."

"How so? She looks no older than twelve." Laxus pointed out.

"Actually, I'm much older than that, but that's a complicated story me and you can have later. For now, just wait. I'm not done yet." Eva stated, as Laxus seemed to accept the arrangement.

Gazille brought them back on topic. "So you said this guy beat you? Seriously? Who was he?"

Gildarts answered that one. "Well, after I joined the fight, I got a look at his face. He was wearing a very concealing black cloak, so it was tough to see much."

"When did you join the fight?" Natsu asked.

Eva answered this time. "After getting tossed around for a few minutes, I decided that enough was enough. I was about to go in hot, but wanted some insurance just in case. That's when I called Gildarts."

"Go in hot? You mean, what you showed me and Gildarts that one time?" Mira wondered.

Eva just nodded. Mira was shocked. "And you lost?" She said loudly.

Laxus was just getting more and more confused by the second. "Okay, I'm really lost here. Is it REALLY so surprising this girl was beaten in a fight? I've heard all kinds of different opinions, but I just want it said plain and simple. How big is this?"

Surprisingly, Makarov was the one to make himself known and answer his question. "Laxus." He started, only continuing once he knew he had his grandson's attention. "This woman is one of the strongest mages in existence. That's all you need to know. If she lost, this person's a very big deal."

"Strongest in… I'm still just as lost!"

"It was Zeref." Gildarts suddenly revealed. He was getting tired of Laxus' superiority complex kicking in. He was a good kid and all, but he really thought too highly of himself sometimes.

Everybody immediately looked at Lucy. "What?" She said nervously. "I was kidding, really. How was I supposed to know!" She exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Eva asked.

Erza just chuckled. "Lucy theorized that you ran into Zeref last night, so that's why we didn't see you today." She explained.

Gildarts laughed as well, but Eva got over it quick. She had some explaining to do. "That's just who Gildarts said he looked like. I'm not convinced in the least, but there's something I need to tell you people. It'll answer Laxus' questions at the same time as well, so it all works out."

Gray looked at her sadly. "You're going to tell the story then?" He guessed, correctly.

She nodded. "It's about time to tell you my story. About me. About Zeref. I trust this guild enough to do so."

Everybody stood by with baited breath. By this time, Juvia and Al had shown up.

"It all started in the year X344..."

**XxFlashbackxX**

_A young girl with long, blonde hair in an extravagant white dress ran down the hall of a fancy mansion. She was breathing a bit hard, but didn't slow down. She eventually reached large, double doors at the end of the path and slowly opened them. She walked into a huge dining room with maids doing cleaning around the table. A man and a woman sat at the end of the table in noble clothes much like the girl. The woman was a bit pale, but had flowing brown hair that went to her middle back. The man held an air of calm, and had striking blonde hair in a braided ponytail. _

"_Eva-chan!" The woman exclaimed. _

"_Hi mom!" An equally happy Evangeline responded. "Dad said he wanted to talk about something?" _

_The man in question cleared his throat. "Yes, about that… I heard you've been disappearing during your etiquette courses with Marie-san. What do you have to say for yourself." _

_Eva had the decency to look embarrassed. "But Daaaad! Katherine is always so lonely when I'm not around! I usually go and read to her because I already have perfect manners." She said confidently. _

"_Tobias dear," Eva's mom started. "Cut her some slack, if she's helping our youngest, let her." She pleaded. _

"_I understand that Caroline, but she's always with her sister." Tobias argued. "They love each other deeply, but they each have their own responsibilities as members of the McDowell family. She could spare some time learning to interact with other nobles so as not to seem foolish or disrespectful. When she gets older, she'll be meeting a lot of important people." _

_Caroline pouted a bit, but conceded his point. "I'm sorry honey, but I agree with your father. If it makes you feel better, I'll go read to Katherine-chan during your lessons if I'm free. How's that?" She asked her daughter. _

_Eva frowned, but agreed. "Okay, mom. I'll try and be better with seeing Marie on Tuesday's." _

_Tobias nodded in satisfaction. "That's all we needed to address. The McDowell family is seeking to expand it's influence overseas, so maybe we can go to Fiore with your sister soon." _

"_Thanks Dad!" Eva responded, lighting up at the thought. She'd always heard Fiore was beautiful! She couldn't wait to go!_

**XxBreakxX**

"My trip to Fiore eventually did come, but it wasn't anything like I had hoped it to be." Eva explained to her audience. "Little did I know that at that time, Zeref was wreaking havoc here."

**XxReturnxX**

_After she saw Eva leave, Caroline turned to her husband and gave him a worried look. "Expanding our influence to Fiore? That's the first I've heard of this. A boat ride would take weeks. Who would be our dignitary? How would we get our product there? Better yet, where are the funds!" She pointed out. _

_Tobias calmly folded his hands and brought them to his chin. "Worry not, Caroline." He said, not even looking at her. "I've made contact with a very powerful man in Fiore, and he will help us get our product overseas." He told his wife. _

"_For free? I doubt that." She responded skeptically. _

"_Of course not dear. Nothing's free in this world, especially during times like these. The payment is steep, but the return will be more than worth it in the long run. And besides, what he IS asking for we can provide without putting us in a tough spot financially. I take my company's integrity very seriously. I would never engage in a business deal that could compromise our situation. Just trust me dear." He explained calmly. _

_She was still a bit nervous, but Caroline did indeed trust her husband. _

_Tobias stood to leave the dining room. "I'll sit down with you and talk about this further when I have more details" He said before leaving. _

_Caroline just sighed. She didn't know what to think anymore…_

_**XxBreakxX**_

_Eva ran towards a certain room in the manor. She knocked excitedly. "Katherine! Are you awake?" She asked loudly. _

_A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a young girl with short brown hair holding a white teddy bear. "Onee-chan?" She said groggily. She was still in her pajamas. _

"_Oh, I'm sorry Katherine! I hoped you weren't sleeping…" Eva said apologetically. "Did you want to go back to your nap?" She asked nicely._

_Katherine shook herself awake before refusing. "It's okay, I sleep too much anyways. Did you come to read me another story? I like the one you told me last week about magic!" _

_They both entered her room and got comfortable._

"_Ah, the __One Magic__, right?" _

"_Yeah! That was the one. It's so lovely how magic used to be used for so many nice things!" She said excitedly. _

_Eva chuckled. "I wish it was still the same. I hear there's war in Fiore right now, but it's calmed down." She started before remembering something. "That's right! Katherine! Dad said he'd take us on a vacation to Fiore next year!" _

"_That's great! I hear it's gorgeous during the spring!" Her sister responded happily. _

"_I know, right? Well, for now, let's start on a new story, okay?" _

_**XxThe Next MonthxX**_

_Eva was up past her bedtime, again. She had more responsibilities and things to do during the day than her sister since she was sick. Because she had more places to be, she went to bed before her little sister, so she would sneak out and read Katherine a bedtime story a couple nights a week. She was on her way back to her room, trodding along as carefully as possible. As she passed her parent's room, she heard some arguing._

"_You've gone mad, Tobias! How could you think this was okay?" Caroline yelled._

"_You don't understand, honey! This is for the best. For our daughters, AND the McDowell family! Lord Zeref can help Katherine!" Tobias argued. _

_Caroline slapped him. "HOW DARE YOU!" She screamed. "You sold our youngest daughter to a madman for a boat ride?"_

_Tobias pushed her back. "Lord Zeref is not a madman! He's the closest thing this world has to a god! He has ALL of Fiore in his grasp, Caroline. If you want to do ANYTHING there you go through him or his men. I told you his payment was steep."_

"_You knew? Since we talked about it last month, you knew we'd lose our daughter all along?" She said disbelievingly. _

"_We're not losing our daughter! Lord Zeref's working on all kinds of way to extend someone's lifespan, and he thinks he's getting somewhere. He's working with all kinds of patients to see how his theories work out. If all goes well, not only with Katherine be healed, but we'll all live in prosperity forever!" He said excitedly. _

_Caroline looked at him is utter disbelief. "Our daughter's a test subject? How could you do this willingly? Wasn't there some other way to get into Fiore? Did you really have to bargain with this… man?" _

"_He's winning the war, darling. Mercurius is nothing but a pile of rubble now. The king is dead, and it's only a matter of time before they're either all dead, or they surrender." He revealed seriously. _

"_What if Katherine dies? Did you think about that, Tobias?" Caroline yelled in response. _

"_She will NOT die! I believe in Lord Zeref, and am certain that this is for the best." _

_Tears reached Caroline's eyes. "What if it doesn't work though? Would you hand Eva over next? I CANNOT allow this!" She said, standing up with authority. _

"_You don't have a choice! Tomorrow, me and Katherine are going to Fiore to meet Lord Zeref. I've already loaded the carriers with our product, and it's only a matter of time before he demands we set sail." Tobias told her. _

"_I can't believe this… You're serious about this… I…" Caroline started having a slight panic attack. She looked at her husband. "NO!" She screamed. "I don't care about money! I don't care about living forever! I just want to be with my family, why can't you understand that?" _

_Tobias put his hand on her shoulder. "I do understand, and that's exactly why I'm doing this. Katherine won't live more than two years as she is. Something needs to be done. It may seem extreme, but damn it I can't think of anything else!" He yelled back. _

"_I'd rather lose her in two years instead of tomorrow, Tobias! I won't let you do this! I'll stop you by any means necessary! Do you understand?" She asked loudly. _

_Tobias' look turned from caring to dark very quickly. "This is not negotiable. Period." He said flatly. _

_Caroline grabbed him by his shoulders. "HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?" She screamed desperately. When his look didn't change, she got scared. She turned and went to her dresser. She started frantically pulling out clothes. _

"_What are you doing?" Tobias demanded to know. _

"_I'm taking our daughters and leaving, far away from you! Where we can live in peace! I can't think of any other solution since you're so adamant!" She said without even looking at him. _

"_You won't stop this?" He asked calmly for once._

"_NEVER! I'll do anything for my girls!" She responded resolutely. _

_She turned back and started gathering more clothes before she suddenly went still. She couldn't understand what was happening. She looked down and saw a black blade of magical energy protruding from her chest. She turned around weakly and saw the dark look on her husband's face. _

"_Darling… Why?"_

_Tobias ripped out the blade violently and dissolved it. "You brought this on yourself, Caroline. Just know I tried." _

_She felt her consciousness slipping, and her eyes were getting fluttery. 'Katherine, Eva, please be safe…' She thought before leaving the world forever. _

_**XxBreakxX**_

_Eva ran towards her little sister's room with tears streaking down her face. Why had this happened to her? She needed to do what her mother couldn't, she needed to keep Katherine safe! She nearly tore the door off it's hinges as she frantically opened it. She was greeted with only despair. Nothing but a white teddy bear sat on the bed where her sister should be. Her father had said it was too late, be she had no clue it was like this. Eva just crumpled to the floor, crying. _

_**XxBreakxX**_

_Tobias looked at Caroline's body briefly before yelled out. "Marie! Here, now!" _

_A few moments later, a curly, black-haired maid trotted into the room nervously. She took a loud gasp when she saw the family matriarch's corpse. "Sir, who-"_

_Tobias held up a hand to silence her. He walked over to the closet and pulled out a safe. He opened in and took out a handful of gold coins and put them in a separate container. "Katherine and I left for Fiore last night, and a burglar after our priceless family jewelry took advantage of my absence to strike. Caroline tried to stop him, but was tragically murdered in the process. Take this money, learn to recite that story subconsciously, and get out of town. Or share her fate." _

_Marie grabbed the money and just ran. She wanted nothing to do with this family anymore. _

_After confirming she was gone, Tobias sat on the bed. 'What do I do about Evangeline? Do I take her with?' He wondered to himself. He figured he would start by seeing how she was. _

_As he neared her room, he heard running. He cursed as he realized that Eva knew._

_**XxBreakxX**_

_Eva just ran. The minute she heard her father's footsteps, she took off as fast as she could. Even as her breath left her, she didn't stop. She just ran, and ran, until she finally collapsed in an ally in town. _

**XxBreakxX**

"After that night, I never went back home. I was helped by a man I met the next day." Eva gave Al a meaningful look. He just nodded at her.

**XxReturnxX**

_Eva woke to a voice calling her kindly. She felt a hand on her head, and looked up weakly to see a man with long, flowing blue hair and glasses. He wore a scholar's robe, which she found strange._

"_What are you doing out here, young one? You're definitely not dressed for the cold." He then noticed how nice her clothes actually were. "You're obviously not homeless. Did you run away?" He asked nicely._

_She then thought back to the previous night. Tears rose again, she just couldn't help it. She didn't even know this man, but she embraced him and just wailed her heart out. The man knew the difference between a child's cry of displeasure, and their cry of anguish. This girl was in complete, and utter anguish. He did nothing to reject the hug. _

_A few minutes later, Eva calmed down. The man sat in front of her and looked her in the eye. "My name's Albireo, what's yours?" He asked. _

_Eva looked at him strangely. "Like the star?" She asked back. _

_He chuckled. "Like the star. So, what's your name, young one?" _

"_Evangeline…" She said nervously. _

"_That's a beautiful name. May I call you Eva-chan then?" Al requested. _

_She nodded slowly. _

"_Now then, where do you live? Perhaps we can get you home." He suggested. _

_Eva froze up. "NO!" She yelled out desperately. "I'm never going back! I just can't! My mom's dead, my dad… I…" She started to break down._

_Al hugged her again. "You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to, young one. Let's get you inside and fed. We can go to my home, would that be okay with you?"_

_She just nodded into his chest._

_**XxBreakxX**_

"_Wow…" Eva said in awe as she looked around Al's apartment of sorts. There were books. Lots of books. Eva loved books. She started to skim through them all quickly, and noticed something almost immediately. "Al-san? Most of these are all about magic theory and stuff. Some of them even have your name on them! Are you a mage?"_

_Al just laughed. "I dabble. I'm still not sure why those fools back at the academy enjoy my ramblings, but as long as they ask, I'll write."_

_Eva opened one of them up. "The basics of casting, molding magic for beginners, where magic power comes from and how it works, these are all amazing subjects! And you wrote them all?"_

"_I simply stated my thoughts on said subjects. Nothing more. Do you know any magic, Eva-chan?" Al asked her._

_Eva just rose her hands defensively. "No, no, no. I just really like reading about it. I used to read all kinds of stories about magic to my sister, and we both loved it! I've always wanted to meet a real mage…" She explained. _

"_Well, here I am. Not exactly what you expected?"_

"_No, you're exactly how I expected a great mage to be! Kind, smart, and humble. That's how a mage should be!" Eva said happily._

_Al just looked at her in mild shock. Her words held great value to those willing to listen. "It's a wonderful philosophy. If only it were true…" _

_There was a brief silence before Eva spoke up. "Al-san?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Can you help me get somewhere?" She requested._

_He paused. "Depends on where it is." _

"_I want to find my sister. She's on a boat to Fiore right now. I HAVE to go to her!"_

_Al just thought to himself in silence. 'I suppose now's as good a time as any to put my invisibility cloak to use. The bathhouse got boring after awhile.' _

"_Eva-chan."_

"_Yeah?" _

"_I have a way you can get on a boat without getting caught, but I want you to promise to be careful. I can't go with you, and Fiore's a dangerous place. Not many people want to leave Paramecia in the first place, so it won't be hard to hide on the ship, but I still don't want to sent you to get hurt." Al explained. _

_Eva gave him a resolute look. "I know what to do, and I promise, nothing bad will happen to me!"_

_Al grinned. This girl was something special, he could just tell. He would help her, if only for her future._

**XxBreakxX**

"I was a fool, thinking I would be fine. My promise to Al meant nothing, but it didn't really matter to me in the end. Even if I died, I wouldn't care as long as Katherine didn't. THAT, was my only objective."

**XxReturnxX**

_Al watched from a distance as the boat set sail to Fiore. He was extremely worried, but he had high hopes for the girl. He went back to his apartment to work on the latest request from the academy. On his way there, he noticed a bulletin in the town square that the mother and oldest daughter of the McDowell family were both murdered last night. His eyes widened in realization. He would have to think about it later. He had other matters to attend to, like those old coots at the academy. They wanted his opinion on how magic could be used to gain immortality. It was a subject that did intrigue him a little, but he didn't think it that important. People weren't supposed to live forever. But still, as he had already said. They want him to write? Then write he shall._

_He sat at his desk and looked at his already compiled research notes. He put his hand to his forehead. 'The only way I see something even remotely similar to immortality being possible is to ditch the body. I doubt they want that. Perhaps I can create a shell of sorts, to place your consciousness in. Or perhaps we can do that with magic ourselves?'_

_Al pulled out a blank sheet of paper. He wrote one line at the top._

_Thought Projections, the Magic Clone_

_**XxBreakxX**_

_She was here. It took weeks, but with Al's cloak, nothing was impossible. She could steal food from anywhere. She was never hungry, despite having no money. How did she find Zeref's lab? Just look for the nearest subordinate and listen. If nothing interesting comes up, find another. Start looking for superior officers, and just keep on going. She stood in front of the lab, gathering her courage to step forward. Just as she did so, she was caught by the shoulder. Her cloak fell off and she turned around to see none other than Primum. _

"_You're quite impressive, making it this far, little girl. Invisibility is quite the interesting magic, especially being able to develop it at such a young age. But alas, you do not fool me. Why are you here?" He demanded to know. _

_She shook slightly, but wouldn't give up now. She'd come so far. "I'm here to see Zeref!"_

_Primum's eyes widened at the revelation. "You believe that Lord Zeref has time for a girl such as yourself? He's got much work to keep himself occupied. He's on the cusp of a breakthrough, and I don't think he'd appreciate being interrupted." He explained calmly. _

"_You mean his immortality research?" Eva inquired._

_Primum shot her a surprised, yet angry look. "How did you hear of that? Who ARE you?" _

"_I know because one of the test subjects is my sister! I want to see her so badly. I need to speak with Zeref!" She pleaded._

_Primum was definitely intrigued now. She knew of his plans AND the subjects? Perhaps where was more to this girl then met the eye. Zeref would know what to do with her. "Very well." He said. "Be quick."_

_**XxBreakxX**_

_Zeref looked at Eva very critically. He had no idea what to think when Primum brought this girl to see him, but he was assured it would be interesting. "Why are you here, girl? What do you want with me? I'm a very busy man." He more or less ordered._

_Gathering her nerve, she managed to respond. "My sister was brought here for your immortality experiments. I want you to let her go, please!" _

"_You know of the experiments? How did you learn of this?" _

"_It doesn't matter! I just want my sister back!" She yelled with tears in her eyes._

_Zeref hummed to himself for a second. "What is your sister's name?"_

"_Katherine." She said instantly. "Katherine McDowell." _

_Zeref visibly recoiled at the revelation. He look of shock turned to pure evil very quickly. "Is that so? You're one of Tobias' girls then? He told me he'd lost you, but assured me you wouldn't be an issue. And what do you know, here you are."_

"_I don't care about that man anymore! Where is Katherine?" _

"_You want to see your dear sister? I'm afraid I can't allow that. You see, she's responding exceptionally to the treatment. Her lung function is improving rapidly, and I see her as a vital part of my research." He told her flatly. _

_Eva wouldn't back down. "But I don't want her to die! I heard soldiers talking about mass graves for the 'failed experiments'! What can I do to keep her safe?" She asked desperately. _

_Zeref thought on it for a moment. She definitely knew too much. He was glad Primum brought her in. He then had a devious thought. "You are her flesh and blood sister, correct?" _

"_Yes! She's my only sibling!" Eva responded._

"_Then perhaps your genetics are what might be responding to the treatment." He started. "How's this. You want your sister alive, no matter what, correct?"_

_Eva nodded frantically. "More than anything in the world! I don't care what happens to me, as long as she lives!"_

_Zeref grinned once more. "Splendid. If you truly mean what you say, then you will accept this offer. For one month, I will stop experimenting on your sister, and do the treatments on you instead. If after that month, you show better, or at least the same results, I let her free." He proposed. _

**XxBreakxX**

"Accepting that proposal was the worst decision of my life, but I was clouded by my love for Katherine. I said I would do anything, and I meant it. That was when the horror started.

**XxReturnxX **

_Eva was currently curled up in a ball in the corner of her cell. The screams for down the hall were terrifying. She could tell that it was Louis. Louis was a nice boy, and had been one of the longer lasting subjects. Once in a blue moon, some of the children were allowed to eat together. She quite liked Louis. _

"_Lord Zeref?" A voice questioned._

"_It's no good. His body rejected the new formula. See the way the skin's peeling? That's the werewolf blood trying to integrate into his. I was hoping that the transformative aspects of a werewolf didn't lie in their blood, but apparently I was mistaken. Subject #74 is a failure." Zeref explained as he turned to the sink and started to wash the blood off his hands. "Dispose of him." _

"_Yes sir." The guard said before gathering the boy's remains and preparing to leave._

"_One moment, Assai." Zeref called._

_Assai gave Zeref his immediate attention. _

"_Do you know when Subject #162 is scheduled for her next test?" Zeref asked. _

"_If I recall correctly sir, you switched her schedule with #161, so she would be brought to you tomorrow." _

_Zeref nodded. "Thank you. That is all." _

_**XxThree Weeks LaterxX**_

"_Hahahaha!" Zeref laughed maniacally. "Look, Assai!" He called, gesturing to Eva's body on his subject table. She was completely unconscious. _

"_What am I supposed to be seeing, Lord Zeref?" He questioned politely._

_Zeref took his suture and slit Eva's throat. In a burst of smoke, in repaired itself instantly. _

_Assai looked on in shock. "Regeneration… How?"_

"_It's the vampire blood! I changed around the ingredients a bit this time. The vampire blood and the werewolf blood clashed too much, so I had to get rid of one, but we've already proven that too much werewolf blood corrodes the skin. I removed 95% of the werewolf blood from the mix, and added more vampire blood. It wouldn't be enough on it's own though. I need more. All of Fiore's turtles live to be around 300, so I decided to break the code on their blood. I put some of that in the mix, and added one final ingredient." Zeref explained happily._

"_What was it sir?"_

"_Dragon blood!" He exclaimed. _

_Assai stumbled a bit at that. _

"_My pact with Acnologia is weakening Assai, and I need this formula to be completed quickly. Now that the war is over, I have no more sacrifices for him. I'll have to start giving up my own men soon. No, I need enough power to subdue the dragon of the apocalypse himself!" _

"_You used HIS blood?" _

_Zeref nodded quickly. "Yes, and look at this. I just need to adjust the formula a bit for an older person, but soon it will be done!" He turned to his subordinate. "Gather up the research papers and the blood samples. I can't lose the figures after coming so far. Keep them safe for me."_

_Just then, blood splurted from Zeref's shoulder. Soon after, his arm fell off, a clean cut had been made. _

"_What the-"_

"_Lord Zeref!" Assai screamed. _

_Zeref saw a flash of blonde hair, and then Assai's head hit the floor. Zeref looked closely and saw none other than Eva. She was breathing heavily, and had an extremely panicked look on her face. Zeref jumped forward to restrain her, which caused her to freak. With a load roar, a massive explosion of dark energy spread from Eva's body, destroying the entire lab. Eva stood in the rubble and looked around. She saw Zeref's downed form and a pool of blood. Terrified at what she'd done, she ran to the cell blocks. _

_Her body was almost on autopilot at this point. She busted every single lock on every single cell, and instinctively killed every guard in her way. She just ran, looking for the one cell that really mattered. She eventually did find Cell #161, but didn't like what she saw. There was Katherine, a simple corpse that had rotted away. She had looked dead for at least three weeks. They hadn't even bothered disposing of her yet. The brown hair was the only thing that let Eva know what she was looking at. With a loud scream, Eva just busted out of the building. _

**XxBreakxX**

"I was free again, but it brought me no pleasure at all. Zeref had known all along. Katherine had died just days before I arrived. He played me like a violin. I thought I had killed him, but he did survive. Stories disseminated from the guards down to the civilians, and before I knew it, people were looking out for a young, blonde vampire. No more than a year later, word came of Zeref's sealing. Part of me couldn't believe he'd lost, but the Ten Wizard Saints succeeded in putting him away. I had no purpose in life. I started to just wander around. My red eyes gave me away immediately. It wasn't until MANY years later that I found a way to change them." Eva explained, pointing to her obviously NOT red eyes.

"People would throw rocks, they would chase me with torches and pitchforks, you know, the works. But eventually, I was caught by an extremely fanatical religious group. I was burned at the stake, but of course I wasn't lucky enough to die. I knew right then and there, that it was time to do something about my weakness."

**XxReturnxX**

_Al just stared at the Lachryma orb in front of him. Is was about the size of his head, and as a blue as his hair. He sighed deeply. _

'_What have I done to myself?' He thought to himself sadly. 'Try the theory on yourself first, Albireo-dono! What a fool I was…'_

_He then heard a knock at his door. Slightly surprised, he moved to answer it. He didn't get many visitors anymore. He opened the door and saw the last person he expected to see. "Eva-chan?"_

_She wore a scholar's cloak just like him, but had it cut to fit her small figure. Her red eyes bored straight into his, freezing him up slightly. _

"_Can I come in, Al?" She finally asked._

_Forcing himself to snap out of it, he gestured for her to enter. "Of course!" _

_They eventually found themselves sitting at his dining table drinking tea. Neither of them had said a word since. Eva eventually set down her cup and looked Al in the eyes again. _

"_It's been awhile." She pointed out. _

_Al nodded grimly. "Yes, four years is quite some time. I'd honestly hoped you were alright, but there was no way to find out." He looked her over again and was just as shocked as the first time he did it. "What happened to you Evangeline? You don't look a day older than when I last saw you." He asked her._

"_It's a long story." She responded flatly. _

_Al grinned at her. "What a coincidence. I love stories."_

_**XxBreakxX**_

"_You want me to teach you magic?" Al repeated._

_Eva just nodded. _

"_After what Zeref did to you, you probably have a darkness affinity. We can start there."_

_Eva just nodded again. _

_**XxBreakxX**_

"_Okay, so this obviously isn't a great idea. You have the affinity, but it's a bit too dangerous in the long run. I'm having trouble just finding the spells to teach you, and being around it is hazardous to my new body." Al explained to her._

"_How was I supposed to know that dark magic would negatively affect your Ethereal Body?" _

_Al sighed. "I'm not angry, okay? I didn't know either." _

_Eva kept rambling anyways. "It wouldn't matter if your body dissolved anyways! As long as that overgrown marble in your bedroom stays intact you'll never die." _

_Al sighed again. "Can we move on, please?_

"_Fine. What do we do now if dark magic is too dangerous?" Eva asked._

"_Well, you can go anywhere you want if you're ignoring your affinity. Is there any type of magic you'd like to learn?" Al asked._

_Eva thought on it for a bit, then smiled softly. "Ice." She said simply._

_Al's eyebrow rose at the choice. "Ice magic, eh? Interesting. May I ask why?"_

"_When we were supposed to go on vacation to Fiore, Katherine wanted to see the ice sculptures at the top of Mt. Hakobe. She always wanted to see the snow, but it never happened on the coast of Paramecia." Eva explained. _

_Al gave her a sad look, but quickly erased it. "Ice magic it is then!"_

_**XxTwo Years LaterxX**_

_Al and Eva sat at the dining room table eating some well made stew. He'd since lost the glasses and began tying his hair the way we're used to. Eva dropped her spoon and paused for a second, then looked up at Al._

"_I'm going to be leaving soon." She said suddenly._

_Al didn't seem phased by the announcement. "I'd assumed you'd have left sooner. When?" _

"_Tomorrow." She revealed._

_Al just sighed. "Where will you go?"_

"_It doesn't matter. I'm strong enough to protect myself now. You've taught me so much, and now I want to find my own path in life."_

"_Do you intend to confront your father?" He asked seriously._

_It was now Eva's turn to sigh. "The motherfucker's still in Fiore. As much as I'd love to gut him like a fish and hang him by his entrails, I'm going to leave him be. I'm not going to look for him, but if I ever do meet him, he dies. It's as simple as that." _

_**XxThe Next DayxX**_

_Al stood at the door to his apartment. Eva was getting ready to leave. Her pack was filled with money and supplies, so she was good to go. As she was about to depart, Al walked up to her. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead then ruffled her hair. _

"_Happy travels, Eva-chan. I'll miss you." _

_She gave him a quick hug in return. "If I ever have time, I'll come see you Al. Don't worry."_

"_Well, we're both not going anywhere for a long time, so feel free." He offered._

_She turned and left. She didn't know where she was going, but it was her new beginning._

**XxBreakxX**

"That day began my new life, the one I still currently lead. My travels were filled with peril and drama. That day marked my journey to eventually become the Dark Evangel. My new life as a criminal."

**XxChapter EndxX**

**Bada-bing, bada-boom! Long chapter, really feel good about it! I'd really like you guys to review on this one, it's really important to me to get some feedback on this one.**

**TBC in Chapter 17: The Dark Evangel**

**Xeno out, Peace.**


	17. The Dark Evangel

**Xx Chapter 17: The Dark Evangel xX**

"Things weren't really that great after I left Al's place. People still hated me just as much, but then a certain fact got out. Vampires existed WAY before me. But I was special. Zeref 'made' me. The terror of Zeref was still fresh in the people's minds. ANY remnant of that person needed to be gone in order for the people to feel safe again. I needed to be gone for them to feel safe again."

**XxFlashbackxX **

"_YOU! What's your name, girl?" A government mage asked. He was mortally wounded, and was just barely holding on. _

_Eva smirked at him. "You're the first one to ask me that on my travels. I've been doing this for years you know? Killing government mages like yourself. Why? Why do you need to know my name?"_

"_For your wanted poster, you demon." He spat._

_Eva's grin got wider. "Sweet. A name to be feared. I've been getting tired of just being 'that blonde demon'. You want my name? Evangeline McDowell. Evangeline Athanesia McDowell was my full name when I was human." Eva paused in thought for a second. The man's eyes widened from the revelation that she wasn't always a vampire._

"_I'm going to add a name to that. Put 'Katherine' in there. With a 'K', mind you. Evangeline Athanesia Katherine McDowell." She was started to have fun. The man's vision was getting blurry as he bled out. _

_Eva pounded her fist into her hand. "This is EXACTLY what I want the poster to say. Evangeline A.K. McDowell. Perfect." She walked over to the man and froze his wound shut. "And you better make me worth good money too." She added before leaving, stepping over the many other bodies that littered the area. _

_**XxBreakxX**_

_Al walked down the main street calmly. He needed some supplies for his research, and was doing a small experiment as to how far his ethereal body could move from his core. As he passed a small bulletin board, he noticed something immediately._

_Wanted: Evangeline A.K. McDowell_

_Reward: 25,000,000 J._

_Al looked at the poster sadly. He turned away quickly. He couldn't stand what she'd become…_

_**XxYears LaterxX**_

_Eva sat in an abandoned warehouse by herself. She was in deep thought. _

'_I lost… I lost to that last group of mages. DAMNIT! I need an edge… Something more…' _

_She looked at her calloused hand with pure disdain. She'd lost her first fight. Granted it was five-on-one, but she wouldn't use that excuse. She was going to spend her next few days trying to figure out exactly WHY she lost. What she was missing._

_**XxBreakxX**_

"_I'm not physically strong enough." She told herself simply. It was the truth. She couldn't win when things got up close, and when she's surrounded, it's hard to keep distance. _

_She had found what she needed to change. It was time to get to work._

**XxBreakxX**

"That was when I started to develop Magia Erebea. It was a slow process, but me and Al had gone over dark magic just enough for me to wing it. After no more than five years, I was unstoppable. In ten, I'd reached the third stage of the spell. It was ridiculous though, because they just wouldn't let up. Every search party I killed did nothing but raise my bounty. I think it was just a matter of pride on their part. It had nothing to do with Zeref anymore. It was just the fact that they couldn't get me. I then made the most important decision of my life."

**XxReturnxX**

"_She escaped again?" A middle aged man at a round table with other individuals exclaimed with anger. _

_A woman across from him nodded. "I'm about ready to call off all pursuit of Evangeline A.K. McDowell. We're losing too many good men." _

_A younger, male council member jumped in. "No, we can't give up! It makes us seem incompetent! She must die!"_

"_About that," Another man spoke up. "How do you propose we 'kill' her after capturing her? The only option is to just lock her up somewhere forever. She can't be killed you know." _

"_I'm not sure that would work either." A very young female voice put in. "I'd probably just gather as much magic power as possible and make the biggest boom I could."_

"_Then what about a seal of some sort?"_

"_Naw, the only seal masters good enough for that died against Zeref. You're shit out of luck dudes."_

_Everybody stood and jumped back. There, at the door to the council room, stood Evangeline. She gave them a playful wave along with a childish smile. "Hey. What's up?" _

_The council members were shaking at this point._

"_You guy's felling alright? You look a little squeamish. Is it really that cold?" She asked innocently. _

"_H-H-How did you get in here?" An older council member asked. _

_Eva started to examine her nails. "Oh, it wasn't that tough. I mean, you only had like what? Fifty guards? That's child's play." She then paused at her own words. "Well, I am still a child though, so I guess the fact that I had fun killing them wasn't that bad after all. I'd almost felt a little sorry for them." She said nonchalantly. _

"_What do you want from us?" A woman shakily asked. _

_Eva hummed in thought. "That's a good question. There are quite a few things in this world that I want, but there's only ONE you can give me." _

_The woman gained confidence at that, stepping forward a bit. "What is it? We'll give you anything."_

"_That's great!" Eva exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "So I can expect your cooperation on this one thing then?"_

_They all furiously nodded, causing Eva's childish façade to fade into a look of pure hatred. The female closest to Eva was then cut in half diagonally across the torso. _

"_The one thing you can all give me is your absence from this world." She revealed darkly. _

_The entire room burst into a scene of blood, magic, and pure terror. Eva was systematically destroying every single person in the chamber. Some were stabbed in vital areas, some were frozen, but for the most part she killed through decisive slashes. Soon, only the head council member remained. Eva wanted to savor this one, as he was ultimately responsible for every decision made against her. He had to approve everything that happened in this room, therefore making him directly responsible for her hardships. _

"_W-W-What do you want? I'll remove your bounty! I call off all search parties! We'll leave you alone for-" _

_Eva then beheaded him. She stared at the carnage she had caused for a few minutes. She was grinning, madly at that. She was in pure ecstasy from what she had just done. It felt so good she almost came at the fact. She was disgusted that she felt that way. She finally came down from her high and noticed her blood-soaked form._

"_I need a shower." She stated simply before finally leaving the scene. _

**XxBreakxX**

"Ironically, the next forty or so years were some of the calmest in my life. The council was in shambles, and the replacement members needed to make decisions regarding how to handle me. They were quite scared that I would come back for them next, and honestly, I wouldn't put it past me."

Eva noticed that a few members of the audience were getting nervous.

"I'll have you know that I haven't killed in close to twenty years. That may not seem like much to you people, but for me it's awesome. But know this; I have no qualms as to doing what I feel is right. If that requires someone's death, then I will end their life without hesitation. I'm not like you people, living in some sort of pipe dream revolving around peace. I know for a fact that some of you have killed as well. Erza, Gazille, Gildarts, you all have blood on your hands. It's a fact of life, one that you either accept or don't. Time's are about to change, and soon. Some of you will be fighting people aiming to kill you, and when the time comes, will you return that resolve? Will you enter the dimension where lives are taken? These are things you need to think about, and think hard."

Eva stood to and prepared to leave. She was creating a mood that HAD to end with her departure.

"Decide. Do you stay in the world full of sunshine and farts, or do you join the darker reality? Think on it." She said before finally leaving the guild.

There was a long pause, which was eventually broken by Al.

"She didn't exactly finish the story though. She forgot the most crucial point of her life, and that was her meeting Nagi Springfield…"

**XxFlashbackxX**

"_How long are you going to keep following me, girl?" The Thousand Master asked his young tagalong. _

"…"

"_Will you at least tell me your name?"_

"…"

_Nagi sighed. "Are you even going to say anything at all?" _

"…"

"_This is just stupid. I know I helped you out and all, but I don't need some sort of follower." He told her._

"_Nobody ever helps me…" Eva finally muttered. _

_Nagi rose an eyebrow at her. "So you CAN speak, eh? It was nothing really. That's the role of a Magister Magi!" He said while pumping his fist into the air. _

"_You're a Master Mage?" Eva asked curiously. She knew he was strong, considering he completely DESTROYED the last search party that attacked her; this was surprising though. _

_Nagi smirked confidently. "I'm the best damn mage alive, and there's nobody who can beat me!" He flashed Eva a wide grin, bringing a small blush to her face. She didn't really know why either. _

_**XxBreakxX**_

_Eva and Nagi sat around a campfire in the woods. _

"_You haven't said a word since we talked last week. All you do is walk and sometimes eat. Is there any REAL reason why you're following me?" He asked the young vampire. _

"…"

_Nagi slumped his shoulders dramatically. "We're doing THIS again? Seriously girl, grow a personality!" He complained. _

"_I don't really have much company these days…" Eva said quietly, gaining Nagi's attention immediately. "Nobody helps me out, nobody cares about me. You're… different." She finished, slightly louder towards the end. _

_Nagi responded with another one of his endearing grins, causing her face to flush again. "I couldn't let a little girl like you fend for herself, now could I? Will you give me your name?" He asked kindly while lightly ruffling her hair. _

"_I'm Evangeline." She said with the first true smile she'd had in over a few hundred years…_

**XxBreakxX**

"They traveled together for a while, but she always tried her hardest to make sure Nagi never found out about her… circumstances. She would always play off her assassination attempts of as ones on him. It was then that the most horrible news of her entire life got out."

**XxReturnxX**

_Nagi and Eva were currently seated in front of a certain man at a small café. A very important man. Really, he was just talking to Nagi. Eva was hiding off to the side with her cloak on. The man was middle-aged with gray hair and a five-o-clock shadow. He was also smoking a cigarette. _

"_We got some bad news kid." The man said._

_Nagi crossed his arms and huffed. "You gonna tell me who you are or how you know me first?" _

_The man chuckled. "My name's Gatou. Gatou Kagura Vandenburg. I'm the head of Fiore's IS Division as well as the founder of the Magic R&D Bureau. Nice to meet you, Nagi Springfield." _

_Nagi whistled. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Bigshot."_

"_As to how I know you, well… Let's say your actions as of late haven't been exactly subtle." He pointed out. _

"_Are you talking about my fights with government mages and bounty hunters recently?" Nagi inquired._

_Gatou nodded. "Paramecia's IS Division refuses to tell me why you keep clashing with them, but you've been making a name for yourself. You're only fifteen yet you could be classified as a SS-Class mage. You don't seem to be exactly attached to your home continent, so how about helping us in Fiore out with a certain problem?" Gatou asked. _

_Nagi hummed to himself for a moment. "Fine, I'll play along. What do you need?" _

"_This is classified information, but we've had a 'prison break' of sorts in Fiore."_

"_Well, who got out?"_

_Gatou paused. "Zeref broke his containment seal." He revealed._

_Eva's breath hitched in the background. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Zeref was back! After 400 years the man was back._

"_Most history books tell us he's dead." Nagi pointed out. _

"_Well most history books tell a lot of wrong things." Gatou responded. _

"_Well, what do you need me to do?" Nagi asked. _

_Gatou sighed. "I'm thinking about forming a guild." _

_Nagi rose an eyebrow at that. "A guild? What for?" _

"_As a member of Fiore's government, I don't exactly have much free reign for outside designated projects. Just coming here to Paramecia to meet with you took quite a few arrangements." Gatou started. "I want to be able to head out with a small task force and personally do work that would interrupt anything that Zeref has planned." _

"_And you think making a guild would help you act independently?" Nagi inquired. _

_Gatou nodded. "My plan is to resign from Fiore's governmental offices and gather strong mages that might want to help my cause. I've already met with a couple other individuals that seem on board." _

"_Who?" _

"_I don't really want to reveal things like that until I know that YOU are on board as well." Gatou responded. _

_Nagi thought on it for a moment. "I'm game. Saving the world seems pretty cool I guess." _

"_Good to hear. To answer your earlier question, I've recruited the head of the Shinmeiryu school in southern Fiore for one." _

_Nagi's eyes widened. "Konoe Eishun? Students from his school are all over the world helping slay monsters. He's the greatest swordsman alive. He agreed to join your guild?" Nagi asked disbelievingly. _

"_He did, and that's nothing compared to the other person I have ready to fight with us."_

"_Who could possibly dwarf Eishun?" Nagi asked. _

_Gatou paused. "I recruited a very specific type of individual…" He said slowly. "He's not exactly human to be honest." _

_This got Eva's attention. What manner of being was this person?_

"_I sought him out based on pure legend, but once I did find him, he gave me most of the information I'm running off of now." _

"_Come on! Who is he?" Nagi asked impatiently. _

"_His name if Filius Zect. You wouldn't know him, but his true identity is shocking. He's actually the first vampire." Gatou finally revealed. _

_Eva finally busted into the conversation. "The fist vampire? What the hell are you talking about?" Eva demanded to know. _

_Gatou was shocked by her sudden appearance. "Who are you, girl? How much have you heard?" Gatou demanded right back. _

"_Come on now, she's with me Gatou-san." Nagi said, trying to diffuse the suddenly hostile atmosphere. _

"_Don't avoid the question! You said this man was the first vampire, is this true?" Eva asked once more. _

_Gatou finally calmed down and decided to answer. "There are plenty of things he's not telling me, but I can vouch on his identity as a bonafide vampire. He's given me a few details here and there about his origins, but he's keeping a lot to himself." _

"_What has he told you?" Eva asked, having calmed down herself. _

"_His name isn't exactly Filius Zect, that's just what he's been calling himself. Most of the world's legends on vampires were based around him, but are largely incorrect. He's been given many names, but never once actually seen. Dracula, Alucard, Nosferatu, these are all things he's been called throughout history." Gatou started explaining. _

"_He wouldn't tell me his original name or how he came to be as a vampire, but he's currently going by Filius Zect. He claims to have been around for the actual conception of magic."_

_Nagi was shocked at that revelation, but Eva wasn't. "If he's the first vampire, he has to be thousands of years old. It's not surprising."_

_Gatou nodded. "He told me he was 2,600 years old." _

_Nagi whistled. "Yeah, that's old." _

"_The actual inventor of the '__One Magic__' was a friend of Zect's. He refused to give me that man's name as well. When this man discovered that only a select few people could actually access magic power, he started gaining this warped view on the human race. He started going on about being the 'chosen race' and whatnot. He started using his abilities to create demons and started on a sort of extermination campaign on all who couldn't use magic. He wanted to create the perfect world lead by power and darkness. His world. He lived many years as well, according to Zect, but eventually died, leaving a war torn planet behind."_

_Gatou caught his breath once more. "Life obviously rearranged itself, but Zect tells me that Zeref is actually the man's way of creating a 'successor'. Again, he was scarce on the details, but Zeref is in a way the reincarnation of this 'Mage of the Beginning'. He holds most of the abilities of the original and is thus 'obligated' to carry out the original's will. It apparently compels Zeref like a sense of duty. He couldn't stop if he tried, according to Zect." _

"_He isn't exactly fighting it, though. He's still a despicable man." Eva rebutted. _

"_Zect tells me that Zeref, as the Mage of the Beginning's successor, will be trying to destroy the world's non-mage population as well." Gatou revealed. "He's been out of his seal for only a few months now, but I'm afraid he might be gearing up to make more demons." Gatou theorized in a sad voice. _

_Nagi slammed his fist into his palm. "Then we just have to stop him. I'll help you with whatever you need, and I bet Evangeline will too!" _

"_No, I won't." Eva said flatly while sending a side glance at Gatou's shocked face from learning her name. "There are reason's why I can't be on the side of justice, but know that I will help as much as possible. There is a man that would be more than willing to help you in your endeavor." Eva said._

"_Who?" Gatou asked. _

"_Albireo Imma, a SS-Class mage and founder of most magical theories. If I give you his address, you would do well to try and recruit him." Eva responded. _

_Gatou nodded in thanks. "I will contact this man. I take it you will be leaving to attend to your OWN agenda?" He theorized, putting together her identity. _

"_I will." Eva said while turning to Nagi. "I'm leaving." She told him. _

_Nagi gave her a sad look. "I still don't know that much about you…" _

_Eva blushed and gave him a peck on the lips. "Maybe next time, Nagi Springfield." She said before just disappearing. _

_Gatou sighed. "You're friends with a dangerous person, Mr. Springfield." _

"_She still my friend, though." He said back. _

"_Just as well." Gatou responded with a chuckle. "Come, mine and Eishun's pupils are waiting at the hotel for us. We need to go meet this man Evangeline told us about and head back to Fiore." _

_Nagi nodded. "What's the name of the guild I'm joining, Gatou-san?"_

"_Ala Rubra."_

_**XxBreakxX**_

_Nagi, Zect, Eishun, Gatou, Al, and new member Rakan sat at a table in their makeshift guild hall. _

"_What's the issue, Gatou-san?" Nagi asked. _

"_We've got trouble." Gatou told the group. "After Rakan here told me about his employers, we've found out some shocking details." _

"_What kind?" Eishun asked. _

_Gatou pulled out a folder and threw it on the table. "Somebody's been messing with the governmental staff in different countries, trying to ignite a war that would use Fiore as a battleground." _

_The audience gasped. "There have been confirmed infiltrations in Fiore, Megalomesembria, and Hellas. The group of infiltrators go by the name 'Cosmo Entelecheia'. I looked into the name, and it's a dark guild founded no more than a few months ago. Zect and I think it might be Zeref."_

"_Correct." Zect started. "He might be trying to start a war to enact his genocidal plans." _

"_How did you both get this information?" Al asked._

"_We received a request from the royal family of Vespertatia." Gatou answered. _

_Zect stepped forward to explain further. "The queen of Ostia caught some people trying to mess with Vespertatia's government as well. She got together with the queen of Hellas and they both decided that we of Ala Rubra might be able to help." _

"_We're meeting with her in a few days, so get ready to head south to Vespertatia." Gatou told the group._

_Rakan laughed out loud. "We're heading to Ostia? I've always wanted to check out the floating city of dreams!" _

"_It's not for fun, Rakan." Eishun pointed out. _

"_Nonsense!" Nagi exclaimed. "There's always room for fun, and I hear the queen of Ostia is hot!" _

_Gatou face-palmed. This was going to be a long trip…_

_**XxBreakxX**_

"_It's a pleasure to meet you, men of Ala Alba." A beautiful blonde woman in an extravagant white dress told the group._

_Gatou stepped forward and gave her a low bow. "The pleasure is ours, Arika-sama." He said politely. _

_Nagi leaned over to Eishun and spoke discretely. "See, I told you she was hot." He said, prompting Eishun to roll his eyes. _

"_I hear you've recently obtained information that may help our cause." Arika said. _

_Rakan stepped forward. "I've been a traveling mercenary most of my life, and I've never once been hired by the government. Recently, I was hired by a member of the Megalomesembrian senate to kill Nagi Springfield. I looked into it, and found that the kid's guild has been pulling of small-scale strikes on dark guilds in order to stop certain activities from starting in the first place. They were great people, why did a senator want him dead? We fought for the hell of it, but I eventually joined up and gave them information. There's definitely corruption in the Megalomesembrian senate." He explained. _

"_Young Queen Theodora told me as much herself, except relating to Hellas' government. We've captured one man trying to do the same to me, and I managed to get the location of a base from him. We don't know how deep this may go, so I believe that getting help from an outside source would help. 'Cosmo Entelecheia' must fall by your hands, Nagi Springfield, or else war is imminent." Arika told the group. "Please give us your aid." _

_The man in question stood forward and put his thumb to his chest. "No problem! We'll kick Cosmo-whatever's ass and save your kingdom no problem, or I'm not the best damn mage alive!" Nagi proclaimed confidently._

"_You're not." Zect said simply._

_Nagi looked taken aback. "Master! You wound me!" He said dramatically. _

"_Regardless," Gatou interrupted. "We will of course be accepting this mission, Arika-sama." _

_Arika nodded thankfully before handing Gatou a piece of paper. "The location of the base is described on that document. Be swift, Ala Alba, for time is of the essence." _

_With a final bow, Gatou turned to the rest of the guild. "I'll have Takamichi prep the ship. We head out within the hour." The group nodded and began gathering their things. _

_On the way out, Gatou turned back to Arika. "Thank you for giving us this opportunity to serve you, Arika-sama." He thanked. _

"_And bust some heads!" Rakan added happily._

"_Quite." Gatou responded._

_Nagi and Al started laughing while Eishun just rolled his eyes. _

_**XxBreakxX**_

_The entirety of Ala Rubra was currently running for their lives from a hoard of government mages. _

"_WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO US!" Nagi screamed desperately. _

"_I'd like to know that as well…" Gatou agreed. 'Within hours of finding their main base of operations, Cosmo Entelecheia had already branded us criminals in their country. This is very annoying.' He thought to himself. _

_Thus the annoyingness of life on the run began for Ala Rubra. Poor bastards._

**XxBreakxX**

"We didn't see Eva for a very long time. Only Nagi, Gatou, and myself even knew her personally. She would not be left out though, not by a long shot. Anything involving Zeref was clear territory for Eva, and this war was no exception."

**XxReturnxX**

_The entirety of Ala Rubra stood on a cliff edge pointed towards a set of beautiful ancient ruins. Gatou was once again assuming the role of playmaker. _

"_Okay, it's time to go over our gameplan. The end of the war is here, and it relies solely on our performance. We currently stand near the gates of the Gravekeeper's Palace, which we have determined to be the main base of operations for Cosmo Entelecheia." He started._

"_Arika-sama's sister, consequently the princess of Ostia, has been kidnapped by our enemies. Her revival of an age-old ability of the Vespertatia royal bloodline allows her to cancel any and all magic used around her. Zeref intends to expand her area of influence to cover the entire planet, sapping all mages of their magic energy. He will then use his own world-wide spell to kill every human not affected by the princess' ability. Her ability will act like a sonar of sorts, providing Zeref information of what NOT to target. He'll then proceed to use an extremely powerful death spell across the planet using the same method he used to expand the princess' influence, which we have yet to discover."_

_Each member of Ala Rubra gritted their teeth at Gatou's reminder. _

"_Our objective is to storm the Gravekeeper's Palace, defeat Cosmo Entelecheia, and save the princess. Arika-sama and the Vespertatian army are on standby to prevent any escape from the area, via airship." _

_Gatou was cut short as a new voice made itself known. "An effectively simple plan, but it requires you to do one thing specifically." The voice said. _

_Ala Rubra turned to see Primum standing smugly in front of them. "You actually need to enter the Palace in the first place to enact your plan." He pointed out. "That will not happen." _

"_Oh really, and you think you can beat us all yourself and stop our plan?" Rakan asked skeptically. _

"_Me? No. Them? Yes." He said while gesturing to the gates of the Palace. Countless hoards of demons and prototype Averruncus units spilled from the entranceway. _

_Primum chuckled at the looks on their faces. "Even if you do manage to take down this preliminary army, we'll have bought more than enough time to start at least stage one of the ritual, sapping you all of your magic power." He announced smugly before disappearing. _

"_He's right…" Eishun said nervously. _

"_I admit, it's quite the conundrum." Al agreed. _

_Nagi stepped forward. "Well then, why the hell are we wasting our time?" He exclaimed before charging at the army. _

"_Stop." A loud, female voice declared. _

_The group turned and looked up towards the source of the voice. High in the sky, Eva herself floated gracefully. "You all need only wait. I will clear the field for your raid."_

"_Evangeline!" Nagi yelled in surprise._

_Al and Gatou were just as shocked. _

_Eva look at Primum, who stood directly at the entrance to the Palace. "I'm so familiar with Zeref's magical signature that creating an army killer specifically for you all seemed like a good idea!" She announced. _

"_Heed the Contract and Serve Me, Darkness, Ice and Snow, the Queen of Eternity! The Coursing White Rose of Ice, the Sleeping Eternal Garden! Come, Unending Darkness, Eternal Glacier! Imprison the soulless puppets with frozen Lightning! The enchanting tranquility, The eternal prison of White roses blooming in profusion!__" She chanted as quick as possible. _

"_Aperantos Leukos Ourano!__" She screamed as magic power just bursted from her being. _

_Whips of blue lightning that looked conspicuously like vines shot towards the army at amazingly high speeds. Countless vines attached to each and every enemy, instantly encasing them in large blocks of ice. Primum quickly entered the Palace, but none of the others were as fortunate to escape Eva's wrath. As each enemy was grabbed by the vines, the area around them would freeze as well, cutting down all barriers that were standard to Zeref's creations. The ice blocks were dragged into each other and melded together over and over until the army was just a massively large spiral of ice. _

_The Dark Evangel had just owned the shit out of Zeref's army, allowing Ala Rubra to storm the Palace._

**XxBreakxX**

"Eva had allowed us to reach the ritual chamber in time to defeat Cosmo Entelecheia. Nagi and Zeref had taken their battle away from Ostia via teleportation magic, and their fight eventually concluded on Tenroujima. Everything had ended before the ritual started, but the first part did activate. Since Zeref was defeated, us losing our magic power wasn't that bad, but the magic that held up Ostia started to fail. Arika and her army attempted to contained the blast of Asuna's magic, but ultimately could not protect Ostia. Evacuations were mostly successful, but the casualties were still massive. Ostia had fallen, and the government saw fit to you Arika as a scapegoat. Eva had disappeared during the war's aftermath, and beyond that, I couldn't tell you anything." Al finished, having concluded the story of Eva's life.

"That is the story of the Dark Evangel."

**Xx Chapter End xX**

**Part one of the flashback is over! I couldn't find a Greek chant for Endless White Nine Heavens, but I did find a Greek pronunciation of the spell's name itself. It's the way she said it, so I decided to keep it intact. **

**I say part one of the flashback since later on I intend to expanded on her meetings with Ur, Leon, and Gray, as well as the founding of Ala Alba and her interactions with Negi. **

**Next chapter we finally move onto pre-tournament activities, and guilds like Raven Tail and Cosmo Entelecheia are given some airtime.**

**Peace out, Xeno.**


	18. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**THIS SERIES IS UNDERGOING A COMPLETE REWRITE. THIS MESSAGE IS JUST A POST FOR CURRENT FOLLOWERS TO CHANGE ON OVER TO THE NEW STORY. THIS MESSAGE, ALONG WITH THE ENTIRETY OF THIS VERSION OF THE STORY WILL BE REMOVED WITHIN TEN DAYS.**

**THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DECIDE TO READ THE REWRITE.**


End file.
